Combining a once-popular but largely abandoned treatment for Type 2 diabetes with another drug could be used again to eliminate problematic side effects, say the findings of a novel study.
Rosiglitazone, sold under the brand name Avandia, won Food and Drug Administration approval in 1999 and became a leading treatment for Type 2 diabetes, capable of increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.
It fell out of favour after studies raised concerns about the risk of a heart attack in some patients, as well as a risk for osteoporosis and evidence of increased weight gain and fluid retention. In the UT Southwestern study published in Cell Metabolism, researchers show how adding a second, experimental drug referred to as Compound A activates a receptor in fat cells and certain immune system cells, called the G protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120), to complement the effects of rosiglitazone and allow a lower dose to be used. (ANI)
