Singapore: Japanese major Takeda Pharmaceutical has said that the China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has issued them an Import Drug License (IDL) for Nesina (alopliptin) for that treatment of type 2 diabetes. Nesina was developed by Takeda's wholly-owned subsidiary Takeda California, which is located in San Diego, US.

The orally administered dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i), Nesina has been designed to slow the inactivation of incretin hormones GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide).

Due to this, an increased amount of active incretins enables the pancreas to secrete insulin in a glucose-dependent manner, thereby assisting in the management of blood glucose levels.

Mr Haruhiko Hirate, corporate officer and head of North Asia at Takeda, said that, "We are pleased with the CFDA approval of Nesina for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is an important milestone for the company and very good news for diabetes patients in China, and also for doctors who now have a new treatment that helps address the needs of their patients."

He further added that diabetes has become a rapidly growing public health problem in China. "Takeda has built a strong foundation in and maintained a robust focus on diabetes over the past 20 years, and remains committed to developing a diverse range of innovative products for the growing type 2 diabetes population," he explained.