TY - JOUR T1 - Incretin Mimetics and DPP-IV Inhibitors: New Paradigms for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 612 LP - 620 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.19.6.612 VL - 19 IS - 6 AU - Deborah Hinnen AU - Loretta L. Nielsen AU - Amy Waninger AU - Pamela Kushner Y1 - 2006/11/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/19/6/612.abstract N2 - Incretin mimetics are a new class of pharmacological agents with multiple antihyperglycemic actions that mimic several of the actions of incretin hormones originating in the gut, such as glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1. Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors suppress the degradation of many peptides, including GLP-1, thereby extending their bioactivity. These agents seem to have multiple mechanisms of action for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including some or all the following: enhancement of glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppression of inappropriately elevated glucagon secretion, slowing of gastric emptying, and decreased food intake. Exenatide (BYETTA®) is the first incretin mimetic approved for clinical use by the US Food and Drug Administration. In phase 3 clinical trials, exenatide reduced HbA1c by ∼1% and body weight by ∼2 kg in T2DM patients failing to achieve glycemic control with metformin and/or a sulfonylurea, with mild-to-moderate nausea the most common side effect. Several GLP-1 analogues and DPP-IV inhibitors are in late-stage clinical testing and may soon become available for treating T2DM patients. The use of these agents may provide an opportunity to bring about new improvements in diabetes care. ER -