New Formulations of Sulphonylureas
Alterations to the formulation of some sulphonylureas have been undertaken to modify the duration of action. For example, a micronised formulation of glibenclamide is available in the US that increases the rate of gastrointestinal absorption,therepy enabling an earlier onset of action. A longeracting ( extended release)formulation of glipizide has also been introduced. A new (modified release[MR]) formulation of gliclazide was launched in some countries in 2002. This formulation has been designed to produce an initially rapid, followed by steady release of the drug to enable once-daily dosage. For the MR formulation of glclazide , 30 mg is held to be equivalent to 80 mg of unmodified glichazide. In a recent 6-month comparative multicentre study,gliclazide MR was associated with approximately 50% reduction in episodes of minor hypoglycaemia compared with glimepiride,at similar levels of glycaemic control; no episodes of severe hypoglycaemia were observed with either agent in this study