WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new diabetes pill from Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly for patients who can’t control their blood sugar with older medicines.
Tradjenta was approved for adults with type 2 diabetes, which affects 24 million people in the United States who have trouble breaking down carbohydrates because their bodies have become resistant to the protein insulin. They are at higher risk for heart attacks, kidney problems, blindness, and other serious complications.
Tradjenta blocks the DPP-4 enzyme, which releases insulin-boosting hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb market similar drugs.
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