Evogliptin: First Global Approval

Evogliptin (Suganon (TM)) is an orally bioavailable, selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4; CD26 antigen) inhibitor being developed by Dong-A ST for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. DPP-4 inhibitors control glucose levels by preventing the breakdown of the incretin hormones glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which stimulate insulin secretion in response to the increased levels of glucose in the period following meals. In October 2015, evogliptin received its first global approval in South Korea for blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of evogliptin leading to this first approval for type 2 diabetes mellitus.