Takeda's Competact launched in the UK

The UK unit of Japanese drug giant Takeda has launched Competact, its fixed-combination tablet of 15mg Actos (pioglitazone HCl) and 850mg of the commonly-prescribed blood glucose regulator metformin. The new, second-line, fixed-dose combination treatment is indicated for people with type 2 diabetes who are failing metformin treatment.

According to John Pittard, a UK hospital practitioner, Competact is "very good news," as high-risk, heavily-medicated patients can reduce their pill burden by 700 pills per year, and the National Health Service will save over L50 ($93) per year on each person treated.

Takeda noted that twice-daily Competact combines the most frequently used daily dose of pioglitazone (30mg) with the usual maximum effective daily dose of metformin (1700mg), while the cost of a blister pack containing 56 tablets (28 days' supply) is L31.56 - the equivalent NHS cost of prescribing the two active agents separately is L36.09, which equals a monthly saving of L4.53 per patient.