GlaxoSmithKline announced that its oral anti-diabetes drug, Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate), has passed the 20 million prescription mark after only three years on the market in the United States. Avandia is a member of a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which treat type 2 diabetes by directly targeting insulin resistance - a primary underlying cause of the disease. Since the U.S. market launch of Avandia in 1999, more people - approximately 3.4 million - have been treated with Avandia than any other TZD.

"We are pleased that healthcare professionals recognize the value of insulin sensitizers, such as Avandia, to help patients control their blood sugar," said David M. Brand, Vice President, Metabolic/Endocrine Marketing, U.S., GlaxoSmithKline. "GlaxoSmithKline is committed to providing innovative treatment options to patients with type 2 diabetes."

Avandia continues to be the most widely prescribed TZD among U.S. family practitioners/ general practitioners and cardiologists.

Adding to the arsenal in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved GlaxoSmithKline's newest diabetes medication, Avandamet (rosiglitazone maleate and metformin HCl), which will be available in pharmacies on November 7, 2002. Avandamet is the first treatment to combine an insulin sensitizer, Avandia, with a leading oral diabetes therapy, metformin, to help control blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin or is unable to properly use the insulin it already produces, a condition called insulin resistance. Diabetes affects an estimated 17 million Americans, 90-95 percent of whom have type 2 diabetes. Those at risk for developing type 2 diabetes include people who are obese, have a family history of the disease, are over age 45 and are members of certain racial or ethnic groups, such as African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death from disease and is one of the most costly health problems in the U.S. with total economic costs of diabetes in 1997 estimated at $98 billion. This is in large part due to the potentially serious complications of unmanaged diabetes, which may include cardiovascular disease - the leading cause of death among those with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. - blindness, amputation and kidney failure. The risk of such complications can be reduced if blood sugar is kept in tight control. The American Diabetes Association recommends that A1C levels - a marker of long-term glycemic control - be less than 7 per cent.

Avandia is an insulin sensitizer that works by making the cells in the body more sensitive to its own natural insulin.

Avandia, along with diet and exercise, helps improve blood sugar control. It may be prescribed alone, with Glucophage (metformin HCl tablets, Bristol-Myers Squibb), or with sulfonylureas. When taking Avandia with a sulfonylurea, patients may be at risk for low blood sugar. Patients should ask their doctor whether they need to lower their sulfonylurea dosage.