Kinds of Diabetes Pills and How They Work
| Generic Name | Brand Name | How They Work |
|---|---|---|
| BIGUANIDES | ||
| Metformin | Glucophage® | Block the liver from making sugar |
| SULFONYLUREAS (SECOND-GENERATION) | ||
| Glimepiride | Amaryl® | Raise the amount of insulin in the body |
| Glipizide | Glucotrol® | |
| Glyburide | Diabeta®, Glynase PresTab®, Micronase® | |
| MEGLITINIDES | ||
| Repaglinide | Prandin® | Raise the amount of insulin in the body |
| Nateglinide | Starlix® | |
| THIAZOLIDINEDIONES | ||
| Pioglitazone | Actos® | Help the body use insulin better |
| Rosiglitazone | Avandia® | |
| ALPHA-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITORS | ||
| Acarbose | Precose® | Slow the digestion of sugar |
| Miglitol | Glyset® | |
From: Pills for Type 2 Diabetes
NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.