Effect of an α-glucosidase inhibitor (voglibose), in combination with sulphonylureas, on glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes patients

A multicentre study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, voglibose, on glycaemic control in 113 patients with type 2 diabetes whose blood glucose control was poor on treatment with a sulphonylurea drug. The patients were treated for 24 weeks with 0.6 mg voglibose, given orally three times daily, before a meal, together with their usual sulphonylurea drug treatment. In the 86 patients who completed the study, fasting plasma glucose, 2-h post-prandial plasma glucose and haemoglobin showed statistically significant decreases in FPG, 2h-PPG and HbA(1c) compared with the baseline (P < 0.05) at almost all time-points during treatment. No serious adverse reactions were reported and there were no significant changes in mean body weights. Plasma glucose control was considered to be improved in 65% of patients; there were no adverse events in 92.9% of patients. The results suggest that the combined use of this alpha-glucosidase inhibitor and sulphonylurea drugs may be effective in controlling plasma glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes and that this combination might delay the onset of vascular complications in these patients.