Takeda’s Competact diabetes treatment approved for Europe

Takeda has announced that Competact, a treatment for type two diabetes, has been granted marketing authorisation in Europe, meaning it could soon be launched in the UK.

Competact is a combination therapy of Takeda’s Actos (pioglitazone HCl) and metformin HCl, producing two mechanisms of action against type two diabetes symptoms. While Actos is designed to fight insulin resistance apparent in the bodies of many diabetic patients, metformin acts by reducing glucose levels in the liver.

The European Commission’s decision to approve the drug for marketing follows a positive recommendation from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human use, made this June.

Dr Masaomi Miyamoto, general manager of pharmaceutical development of Takeda, remarked: “We are very pleased with this approval of Competact, which enables us to provide an additional treatment option for the patients with type two diabetes and healthcare providers who treat them.”

“This approval represents one of the achievements in our initiatives aimed for maximizing the product value of Actos and also enhancing our franchise in the diabetes field in European markets toward the future,” he added.

Takeda has a number of new drugs in development. Last week, trial results for Tavocept, a treatment for common chemotherapy side-effects, showed that the drug did not meet study endpoints, forcing Takeda to consider the drug’s future.

However, results for Rozerem, a sleeping drug, showed that the drug could help insomniacs sleep without the after-effects associated with other drugs. The company is planning UK clinical trials for the drug.

© Adfero Ltd