Merck & Co to file MK-0431A with FDA in 2006

US drugmaker Merck & Co says that it anticipates submitting its developmental drug MK-0431A, an oral treatment for type 2 diabetes which combines Januvia (sitagliptin phosphate) and metformin, to the Food and Drug Administration this year, ahead of its initial 2007 forecast. The firm added that it would provide additional information at the upcoming annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association meeting in Washington DC.

Januvia is Merck's oral dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, which was originally accepted by the FDA for review in February of this year. The drug is designed to provide treatment for type 2 diabetes by enhancing the function of the incretin system, thereby lowering blood sugar levels. The firm added that studies it has carried out so far have revealed that the agent is not associated with the excessive weight gain and hypoglycemia that often occurs during treatment for diabetes.