Incretin related drugs

Incretin, GIP and GLP-1, are blood glucose lowering hormones secreted from K cells and L cells, and are rapidly degenerated by DPP-4 within a few minutes. Recently incretin related drugs, GLP-1 analogs and DPP-4 inhibitors are developed. GLP-1 analogs have amino acid substitutions, which make the GLP-1 peptide resistant to degeneration by DPP-4, while DPP-4 inhibitors prevent endogenous GLP-1 to be degenerated by DPP-4. Since they exert blood glucose lowering effect only when blood glucose levels are high, hypoglycemia rarely occurs when administrated without other anti-diabetic drugs. Incretin related drugs are expected to be a new strategy for treating type 2 diabetes.