Pioglitazone hydrochloride, a thiazolidinedione compound, is a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes that reduces insulin resistance by enhancing insulin action in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. In the study of diabetes, pioglitazone reduced the hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia characteristic of insulin-resistant states. The metabolic changes induced by pioglitazone result in increased responsiveness of insulin-dependent tissues and are observed in numerous models of insulin resistance.~In the present randomized, double-blind, parallel study, we aim to compare the efficacy and safety of pioglitazone added to combination therapy of sulfonylurea plus metformin with those of sulfonylurea plus metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients.
The purpose of this trial is to study the efficacy and safety of pioglitazone added to combination therapy of sulfonylurea plus metformin with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes.