Introduced in the 1950s to treat type 2 diabetes, Biguanides class drugs at the time included Phenformin and Buformin, but both were taken off the market in most countries due to the elevated risk of lactic acidosis (Buformin was never sold in the U.S., but is still available in Hungary, Taiwan and Japan). Metformin, to which these other drugs are related, is the drug of choice for treating diabetes. Biguanides class of drugs also includes Proguanil, used to treat malaria. Metformin is used to reduce blood sugar in type 2 diabetics, and is also in cases of prediabetes, especially with people who are overweight, to help prevent full-blown diabetes. It can also help with weight loss and high cholesterol. It works by decreasing the liver’s sugar production, increasing absorption of sugar by cells in the muscles, and also decreases the body’s insulin needs. It does not have any effect on …

The most commonly prescribed oral drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, Glucophage was the original brand name of metformin (first approved in 1994), now available as a generic. It is most often used in overweight and obese patients, and works by suppressing the liver’s glucose production and by increasing insulin sensitivity in the liver, fat, muscle and other tissues. It has been shown to prevent cardiovascular disease that often accompanies diabetes, and reduces LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It also lowers the risk of blindness and kidney disease. Metformin, along with glibenclamide, were the two oral diabetes medicines listed in the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines for 2010. Unlike glyburide (which also lowers glucose, in the sulfonylurea class of drugs for diabetes), Glucophage (metformin) does not increase insulin levels in the blood, so it doesn’t have the risk of hypoglycemia.

Glucophage, Diabetes and Side Effects

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