AstraZeneca announces FDA approval of ONGLYZA

AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb have announced approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with the drug ONGLYZA (saxagliptin).

Commenting, David Brennan, chief executive of AstraZeneca, said that type 2 diabetes is a “daily challenge” for both physicians and adult patients.

He stated that the FDA’s approval of ONGLYZA will see an “important new treatment” to help improve glycemic control become available.

“ONGLYZA is the product of a major collaboration between AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb to further the understanding of how best to treat this challenging disease and help adult patients achieve their treatment goals,” Mr Brennan concluded.

The drug is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor that affects the action of incretins and is given as an adjunct to exercise and diet to enhance glycemic control.

Last month, AstraZeneca announced its financial results for the second quarter, noting that its emerging markets sales growth stood at eight per cent at constant exchange rates.