Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca receive Welsh Onglyza recommendation

Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca have received a positive recommendation from the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) for their diabetes drug Onglyza, allowing it to be used in the treatment of NHS Wales patients.

The DPP-4 inhibitor has been endorsed for use as part of a triple therapy regimen in type 2 diabetes patients aged 18 years and older, in combination with metformin plus a sulphonylurea, in cases when this regimen alone does not provide adequate blood glucose control.

Approximately 144,000 people have diagnosed type 2 diabetes in Wales and possibly a further 59,400 people are yet to be diagnosed, with the disease placing a growing burden on the NHS.

The AWMSG triple therapy recommendation follows the granting of a similar licence by the European Medicine Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in January 2013.

Lisa Anson, president of AstraZeneca's UK marketing unit, said: "AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb are committed to meeting the needs of patients and physicians in diabetes care and improving outcomes for patients."

This comes after Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca's new diabetes therapy Xigduo was also granted a CHMP recommendation for approval last month.