Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Davidson, J.
Right arrow Articles by Howlett, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

New prolonged-release metformin improves gastrointestinal tolerability

Jaime Davidson

University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas, USA

Harry Howlett

Merck Pharma UK, Harrier House, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QG, UK, hhowlett{at}merckpharma.co.uk

Current guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes recommend initiating pharmacological therapy with metformin, particularly in overweight patients, but gastrointestinal side-effects and a complex administration regimen sometimes present barriers to its use. A novel, prolonged-release metformin formulation (Glucophage® SR*), given once-daily in double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials, was associated with fewer gastrointestinal side-effects, than immediate-release metformin. A retrospective review of 468 metformin-treated patients in the USA found better gastrointestinal tolerability with prolonged-release metformin in patients new to metformin, or switched from the immediate-release formulation. The efficacy of the two formulations was similar. The improved tolerability associated with prolonged-release metformin probably arises from the tablet design, which releases metformin into the upper intestine by diffusion from a dual hydrophilic polymer matrix (GelShield diffusion system). This provides slower, smoother and longer drug delivery, without an initial rapid rise in plasma metformin. This novel metformin formulation may simplify the delivery of metformin-based therapy.

Key Words: metformin • type 2 diabetes • oral antidiabetic therapy • prolonged-release formulation • gastrointestinal tolerability • adherence.

The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease, Vol. 4, No. 4, 273-277 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/14746514040040041101
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Diabetes and Vascular Disease ResearchHome page
J. H. Scarpello and H. C. Howlett
Metformin therapy and clinical uses
Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research, September 1, 2008; 5(3): 157 - 167.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular DiseaseHome page
M. D Feher, M. Al-Mrayat, J. Brake, and K. S. Leong
Tolerability of prolonged-release metformin (Glucophage(R) SR) in individuals intolerant to standard metformin -- results from four UK centres
The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease, September 1, 2007; 7(5): 225 - 228.
[Abstract] [PDF]