Vildagliptin


Vildagliptin, sold under the brand name Galvus among others, is an oral anti-hyperglycemic agent of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor class of drugs. Vildagliptin inhibits the inactivation of GLP-1 and GIP by DPP-4, allowing GLP-1 and GIP to potentiate the secretion of insulin in the beta cells and suppress glucagon release by the alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.
The most common side effects include dizziness.
It was approved by the European [Medicines Agency] in 2007. The European Medicines Agency has also approved a combination of vildagliptin and metformin, vildagliptin/metformin as an oral treatment for type-2 diabetes.
Vildagliptin has been shown to reduce hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Medical uses

Vildagliptin is indicated, as an adjunct to diet and exercise, to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes as monotherapy in people in whom metformin is inappropriate due to contraindications or intolerance; and in combination with other medicinal products for the treatment of diabetes, including insulin, when these do not provide adequate glycemic control.

Adverse effects

The most common side effects include dizziness.