AstraZeneca granted marketing permission for Onglyza

AstraZeneca, working jointly with Bristol-Myers Squibb, has announced that the European commission has approved its application to market its type 2 diabetes treatment Onglyza (saxagliptin) in 27 countries throughout the European Union.

Onglyza is as a once-daily oral tablet in 5 mg doses which is used in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and helps to improve glycaemic control in combination with metformin, sulphonylurea or thiazolidinedione.

“Today’s announcement is good news for those affected by type 2 diabetes and further demonstrates the commitment of AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb to bring much needed options for the treatment of type 2 diabetes,” explained Ulf Sather, AstraZeneca’s regional vice-president for Europe.

Onglyza, which has undergone six core phase III trials, is the first product to be launched in Europe from the collaboration between the two pharmaceutical companies involving type 2 diabetes.

Last week, AstraZeneca revealed that it has been granted permission to distribute its once-daily Seroquel XR (quetiapine fumarate extended-release tablets) and Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate) treatments by the European Mutual Recognition Procedure.