Initially introduced in 1955, the sulfonylureas are the oldest class of oral antidiabetic drugs and act on pancreatic beta-cells to increase insulin secretion. Most of the drugs in this class are no longer protected by patents and are available in generic forms.

Drugs in this class include chlorpropamide, gliclazide, glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide and tolazamide.

• CHLORPROPAMIDE

  Tradename(s)	Diabinese®
  Company(ies)	Pfizer, Sandoz, Watson Lab and others
  Available doses	100 mg and 250 mg
  Dose per day	once daily
  Side-effects	hypoglycemia
  Eliminatino half-life	36 hours
  Metabolism	excreted unchanged
  US patent status	generic
  US FDA status	approved October 1958
  EMEA status
  Indication
  Chlorpropamide is indicated as an adjunct to diet to lower the blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes whose hyperglycemia cannot be controlled by diet alone.

• GLICLAZIDE

  Tradename (s)	Diamicron®
  Company(ies)	Sandoz, Servier, Novopharm, Apotex
  Available doses	30 mg and 80 mg
  Dose per day	once daily
  Side-effects	hypoglycemia
  Elimination half-life	16 hours
  Metabolism	essentially eliminated via the urine
  US patent status	generic
  US FDA status	not available in the US
  EMEA status	approved
  Indication
  Gliclazide is indicated for the control of hyperglycemia in gliclazide responsive diabetes mellitus of stable, mild, non-ketosis prone, maturity onset or adult type which cannot be controlled by proper dietary management and exercise, or when isulin therapy is not appropriate. N.B. the 30 mg pill is a slow-release formulation.

• GLIMEPIRIDE

  Tradename(s)	Amaryl®, Amarel®
  Company(ies)	Sanofi-Aventis, Ranbaxy Laboratories , Mylan, Teva and others
  Available doses	1 mg, 2 mg and 4 mg
  Dose per day	once daily
  Side-effects	hypoglycemia
  Elimination half-life	5.3 hours
  Metabolism	metabolized by oxidative biotransformation
  US patent status	generic
  US FDA status	approved November 1995
  EMEA status	approved December 1996
  Indication
  Glimepiride is indicated as adjunct to diet and exercise, to lower the blood glucose in patients with noninsulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus (NIDDIM) whose hyperglycemia cannot be controlled by diet and exercise alone.
  Comments
  Sanofi-Aventis reported sales of €451 million in 2006 and €392 million in 2007 .

• GLIPIZIDE

  Tradename(s)	Glucotorol®, Glucotorol XL®, Glibenese®
  Company(ies)	Pfizer, Sandoz, Watson and others
  Available doses	2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg
  Dose per day	once daily
  Side-effects	hypoglycemia
  Elimination half-life	2-5 hours
  Metabolism	eliminated by hepatic biotransformation
  US patent status	generic
  US FDA status	approved May 1984
  EMEA status
  Indication
  Glipizide is indicated as an adjunct to diet for the control of hyperglycemia and its associated symptomatology in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM; type II), after an adequate trial of dietary therapy has proved unsatisfactory.

• GLYBURIDE (or GLIBENCLAMIDE)

  Tradename(s)	Micronase®, Diabeta®, Glynase®, Euglucan®, Daonil®, Semi-Daonil®
  Company(ies)	Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, Mylan, Teva, Sandoz and others
  Available doses	1.25 mg, 1.5 mg, 2.5 mg, 3 mg, 4.5 mg, 5 mg and 6 mg
  Dose per day	once daily (with breakfast or first meal)
  Side-effects	hypoglycemia
  Elimination half-life	10 hours
  Metabolism	excreted as metabolites in the bile and urine
  US patent status	generic
  US FDA status	approved
  EMEA status
  Indication
  Glyburide is indicated as an adjunct to diet to lower the blood glucose in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Type II) whose hyperglycemia cannot be satisfactorily controlled by diet alone.

• TOLAZAMIDE

  Tradename(s)	Tolinase®
  Company(ies)	Sandoz, Pfizer and others
  Available doses	100 mg, 250 mg and 500 mg
  Dose per day	once per day with breakfast or first meal
  Side-effects	hypoglycemia
  Elimination half-life	7 hours
  Metabolism	metabolized to five major metabolites which are excreted principally in the urine
  US patent status	generic
  US FDA status	approved but no longer available
  EMEA status
  Indication
  Tolazamide is indicated as an adjunct to diet to lower the blood glucose in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Type II) whose hyperglycemia cannot be satisfactorily controlled by diet alone.