Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) treatment has recently undergone major developments which have dramatically changed the management of the disease. During the twentieth century major changes in the treatment of DM have transformed the disease from an uncurable disease to a chronic one. However, some of the major drugs used for its treatment have remained stable, while others have now almost gone into disuse.

Aim: The aim was to show the recent therapeutic developments in DM as depicted in everyday clinical praxis during the period 2016–2021.

Methods: The data of sales of antidiabetic medications in two medium sized pharmacies in central Athens during the years 2016 and 2021 were recorded.

Results: An increase in the sales of metformin by 22.2% was observed either alone or in combination with other orally administered antidiabetic medications. A major decrease in the sales of pioglitazone alone and in combination with other medications was observed. A major decrease in the sales of sulfonylureas was observed and glinides almost disappeared from the market. The sales of DPP-4 inhibitors either alone or in combination with metformin remained stable. A major increase in the sales of GLP-1 receptor agonists and of a combination of a GLP-1 receptor agonist and a long-acting insulin analog was found. A major increase in the sales of SGLT2 inhibitors was observed. The sales of human biosynthetic insulins decreased while the sales of long-acting insulin analogs increased.

Conclusions: In this report therapeutic developments in DM as depicted in the sales of antidiabetic medications in two pharmacies in central Athens are shown. Metformin continues to play a lead role in first-line treatment of DM 2. The sales of metformin increased and in 2021 they were 50% of orally administered antidiabetic medications and 40% of the total sales of antidiabetic medications. The sales of DPP-4 inhibitors alone or in combination with metformin remained stable, while GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors increased dramatically. In this paper the major therapeutic developments in DM as they are depicted in clinical application in the urban multinational environment of central Athens, which may lead to the final cure of the disease are shown.