Takeda Pharmaceutical announced  the launch of LIOVEL®, a fixed dose combination tablet of NESINA® (alogliptin) and ACTOS® (pioglitazone HCl) for treatment of type 2 diabetes.     LIOVEL is a tablet taken orally once daily and has two dosage strengths, “LIOVEL LD” and “LIOVEL HD” which contain 25mg alogliptin /15mg pioglitazone, and 25mg alogliptin /30mg pioglitazone respectively.   NESINA was discovered by Takeda’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda San Diego, Inc. and is a member of the Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety announcement informing the public that use of the type 2 diabetes medication Actos (pioglitazone) for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Information about this risk will be added to the Warnings and Precautions section of the label for pioglitazone-containing medicines. The patient Medication Guide for these medicines will also be revised to include information on the risk of bladder cancer. The statement is based on the FDA’s...

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited has granted Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. a license to market a generic version of ACTOS® in the U.S. beginning on August 17, 2012, and a generic version of ACTOplus met® beginning December 14, 2012. The license was granted following an agreement to settle patent litigation related to Teva’s generic versions of Takeda’s ACTOS® (pioglitazone HCl) and ACTOplus met® (pioglitazone HCl and metformin HCl) in the United States. Source: www.tevapharm.com

The FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients that the Agency is reviewing data from an ongoing, ten-year epidemiological study designed to evaluate whether Actos (pioglitazone) is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Findings from studies in animals and humans suggest this is a potential safety risk that needs further study. At this time, FDA has not concluded that Actos increases the risk of bladder cancer. Its review is ongoing, and the Agency will update the public when it has additional information....

I’m a 52-year-old type 2 diabetic woman. I’ve been taking Avandamet for several years. My A1c has improved, although I don’t follow a “strict” diabetic diet. My doctor says it’s safe to continue the medication, but given all of the recent press about Avandia, I’m afraid. Should I ask to take Actos instead?

The continuing controversy surrounding the cardiovascular risk of GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia has led to sharp declines in its use and a surge in sales of the competing drug, Actos. Although the drugs are similar and both had FDA warnings in 2007, Takeda’s Actos has been perceived to be safer for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Avandia (Rosiglitazone) and Actos (pioglitazone) belong to the same class of drugs, called TZDs or thiazolidinediones. They help the body use insulin more effectively by boosting...

A new study has found that popular diabetes drugs Actos and Avandia boost the risk of fracture in older women. The researchers, lead by William H. Herman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, evaluated a large database of managed care patients who had diabetes. He found that those who suffered fractures were more likely to be taking the class of drugs known as TZDs (thiazolidinediones), such as Actos and Avandia. The researchers found that woman over 50 with fractures were...

Avandia Safety Questioned:  The New York Times reports that diabetes drug maker SmithKline did not reveal the results of a study showing its drug Avandia was riskier to the heart than a competing drug, Actos. The New York Times states, “instead of publishing the results, the company spent the next 11 years trying to cover them up, according to documents recently obtained by The New York Times. The company did not post the results on its Web site or submit them to federal drug regulators, as is required in most cases by law.” Experts...

New York Times Report : Hundreds of people taking Avandia, a controversial diabetes medicine, needlessly suffer heart attacks and heart failure each month, according to confidential government reports that recommend the drug be removed from the market. The reports, obtained by The New York Times, say that if every diabetic now taking Avandia were instead given a similar pill named Actos, about 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure would be averted every month because Avandia can hurt the heart. Avandia, intended to treat...

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited announced an agreement to co-develop and commercialize pharmaceutical products for the treatment of obseity and related conditions.  Amylin, whose top product, Byetta,  had sales of $678.5 million last year. will receive a one-time up-front payment of $75 million from Takeda, the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and maker of Actos, a best-selling diabetes drug.  In a press release, Takeda writes, “Under the terms of the agreement, Amylin will be...