What is Januvia (Sitagliptin)?

From the Guidelines

Januvia (sitagliptin) is an oral medication used to treat type 2 diabetes by helping control blood sugar levels, with a standard dose of 100 mg once daily, though patients with kidney problems may require lower doses (50 mg or 25 mg daily) 1.

Key Points

• Januvia works by increasing incretin hormones that stimulate insulin release after meals and reduce glucagon production, which helps lower blood sugar without causing hypoglycemia when used alone 1.
• Common side effects include upper respiratory infections, headache, and occasionally joint pain 1.
• Januvia can be taken with or without food and is often prescribed alongside other diabetes medications like metformin 1.
• It's not recommended for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis 1.
• Patients should continue monitoring their blood sugar regularly and maintain healthy lifestyle habits including proper diet and exercise while taking this medication 1.
• If you experience severe joint pain, allergic reactions, or signs of pancreatitis (severe stomach pain), contact your healthcare provider immediately 1.

Important Considerations

• The medication is a DPP-4 inhibitor, which inhibits DPP-4 activity, prolongs survival of endogenously released incretin hormones, and increases active GLP-1 concentration 1.
• The maximum approved daily dose of Januvia is 100 mg 1.
• Januvia is available in various formulations, including tablets, and the cost may vary depending on the formulation and dosage strength 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

SITAGLIPTIN/METFORMIN 50/850MG

History of a serious hypersensitivity reaction to sitagliptin, such as anaphylaxis or angioedema. Januvia (Sitagliptin) is a medication, but the provided drug labels do not directly describe what it is or what it is used for. 2 2

From the Research

What is Januvia (Sitagliptin)?

• Januvia, also known as Sitagliptin, is an orally administered, potent and highly selective inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) 3.
• It is used in the management of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and has been shown to improve glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, including its use as monotherapy, initial combination therapy, or add-on therapy to metformin or to other antihyperglycaemic drugs, with or without metformin 3, 4.
• Sitagliptin works by increasing the active levels of incretin hormones in the body, which triggers pancreatic insulin secretion, suppresses pancreatic glucagon secretion, and signals the liver to reduce glucose production 5.

Mechanism of Action and Benefits

• The mechanism of action of Sitagliptin is distinct from any existing class of oral glucose-lowering agents, and it offers many potential advantages over existing diabetes therapies, including a low risk of hypoglycaemia, no effect on body weight, and the potential for the regeneration and differentiation of pancreatic beta-cells 5.
• Sitagliptin has been shown to be efficacious as monotherapy and also in combination with commonly prescribed antidiabetic agents, and is suitable for once-daily oral dosing 5, 6.
• The fixed-dose combination of Sitagliptin and metformin has been shown to achieve greater improvements in glycaemic control than either component alone in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus 7.

Safety and Tolerability

• Sitagliptin is generally well tolerated, with most adverse events being of mild to moderate intensity and relatively few patients discontinuing treatment because of these events 3, 4.
• Sitagliptin treatment was not associated with an increased risk for the known cardiovascular disease risk factors of hypoglycaemia and body weight gain 4.
• There is no causal link between Sitagliptin and the potential increased risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, although discussion is equivocal regarding this potential risk 3, 4.