Both Sitagliptin and Linagliptin are a class of oral hypoglycemics that block DPP-4 (DPP-IV). They can be used to treat diabetes mellitus type 2. Linagliptin is good add-on medicine for controlling your blood sugar, but may cause body aches.
Drugs belonging to this class are:
- Sitagliptin[6] (FDA approved 2006, marketed by Merck & Co. as Januvia)
- Vildagliptin[7] (EU approved 2007, marketed in the EU by Novartis as Galvus)
- Saxagliptin (FDA approved in 2009, marketed as Onglyza)
- Linagliptin (FDA approved in 2011, marketed as Tradjenta by Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim)[8]
- Gemigliptin (approved in Korea in 2012, marketed by LG Life Sciences)[9] Marketed as Zemiglo
- Anagliptin (approved in Japan in 2012, marketed by Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd. and Kowa Company, Ltd.)[10]
- Teneligliptin (approved in Japan in 2012[11])
- Alogliptin (FDA approved 2013, marketed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company)
- Trelagliptin (approved for use in Japan in 2015)
- Omarigliptin (MK-3102) (approved in Japan in 2015,[12] developed by Merck & Co.; research showed that omarigliptin can be used as once-weekly treatment and generally well-tolerated throughout the base and extension studies[13])
- Evogliptin (approved for use in South Korea[14])
- Gosogliptin (approved for use in Russia[15])
- Dutogliptin (being developed by Phenomix Corporation), Phase III[16]
Side effects of Linagliptin include:
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back pain,
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lung infection,
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cough,
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headache,
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joint pain.
Side effects of Sitagliptin include:
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abdominal pain,
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diarrhea,
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the common cold.
Is linagliptin better than sitagliptin?
Based on the results, there was no significant difference between the two drugs, i.e. linagliptin and sitagliptin, in terms of efficacy; in other words, the efficacy of the two drugs was the same. Therefore, the use of these two drugs depends on their availability and cost.