Japanese Diabetes Combo Gets Nod

TUESDAY, Aug. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. of Tokyo has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its new diabetes drug and will begin selling it in October, the company said Tuesday.

The new product, Actoplus Met, is a single tablet that combines two existing diabetes drugs, Actos and Metformin, and will be sold in the United States by Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc., the Associated Press reported.

Actos is a drug used to improve insulin resistance, and Metformin is used to control the level of glucose produced by the liver.

The new drug will mean that type 2 diabetes patients no longer need to take two tablets for the same treatment, said Matsutaka Matsumoto, of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.