The first generic version of Actos medication to treat adults with type 2 diabetes was approved by the FDA today. This move will make treatments more affordable for patients having chronic diabetes.

The generic medication uses the same active ingredient ‘pioglitazone’ as Actos, which works by improving controls over blood glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Gregory Geba, MD, director of the FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs, said, “Generic versions of this widely used product will offer affordable treatment options for patients who must manage this chronic and potentially serious condition.”

According to the CDC, 8.3% Americans, that’s about 26 million Americans have diabetes.

Diabetes and complications arising from it are among the leading causes of death in the U.S.

FDA recommends careful use of pioglitazone as it may cause or worsen heart failure and if taken for more than a period of one year, it may lead to bladder cancer.

The most common side effects of pioglitazone are sinus infection, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.

The generic version of pioglitazone is manufactured by Mylan Pharmaceuticals. According to the FDA, the generic drugs it approves “are of the same strength and quality” as their branded counterparts.

Related:
Prostate cancer drug approved in Scotland
New weight loss drug JD5037 promises long-term weight loss maintenance