A real-world Indian study found that glipizide, alone or with metformin, improves glycemic control in patients with declining renal function without impacting weight or beta-cell function.
This study has been conducted by leading researchers and endocrinologist V. Mohan, TA Pramod Kumar, Rajendra Pradeepa, Saravanan Jebarani, Sadasivam Ganesan, Abhijit Pednekar, Routray Philips, Suraparaju Pavan Kumar, Ranjit Unnikrishnan, Ranjit Mohan Anjana and published in the journal Drugs - Real World Outcomes.
This retrospective study, conducted at a tertiary diabetes center in India covering an extensive 30-year span of Diabetes Electronic Medical Records (DEMR), including 11,949 adults with type 2 diabetes treated with glipizide or glipizide with metformin. Patients had at least one follow-up within a year.
The primary outcome was change in HbA1c, while secondary outcomes included fasting and postprandial glucose, body mass index (BMI), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
The results revealed findings which include:
- Glipizide reduced fasting plasma glucose (FPG) by 16 mg/dL, postprandial glucose (PPG) by 29 mg/dL, and HbA1c by 0.9%, while the glipizide plus metformin group showed greater reductions with FPG by 23 mg/dL, PPG by 44 mg/dL, and HbA1c by 1.1%.
- Both treatments lowered HbA1c more in patients with baseline HbA1c ≥8.0%. The greatest HbA1c drop was seen in those with moderate renal impairment (eGFR 30–60 mL/min/1.73m²).
- C-peptide levels were preserved across all treatment groups, indicating sustained β-cell function.
- Glipizide is one of the most affordable oral antidiabetic therapy for deserving T2DM populations.
These findings suggest that glipizide, one of the oldest antidiabetic drugs, and its use in combination with metformin remain safe and effective, both as monotherapy and in combination, particularly in specific situations within resource-constrained settings like India.
Furthermore, glipizide with metformin, costing just ₹121 monthly, is among the most affordable antidiabetic treatment options in India, improving access for deserving lower-income groups living with T2D.
Reference:
1) PramodKumar TA, Pradeepa R, Jebarani S, Ganesan S, Pednekar A, Philips R, Kumar SP, Unnikrishnan R, Anjana RM, Mohan V. Effectiveness of Glipizide and Glipizide Plus Metformin Formulation among Asian Indians with Type 2 Diabetes: a Real-World, Retrospective Electronic Medical Record Analysis. Drugs Real World Outcomes. 2025 Sep;12(3):457-466. doi: 10.1007/s40801-025-00502-0. Epub 2025 Jul 10. PMID: 40637807; PMCID: PMC12381306.
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