Risk-Benefit Profile of Novel Anti-diabetic Drugs: Current Perspectives

We are facing a paradigm shift in the era of antidiabetics, because agents marketed after 2008 (i.e., after the rosiglitazone saga) are not only required to reduce levels of HbA1, but also to demonstrate beneficial or at least neutral effect with regard to cardiovascular (CV) outcomes (Figure 1). This is of paramount relevance, considering that the risk of developing CV disease is two-fold higher in patients with diabetes compared with individuals without diabetes [1]. Thus, pharmacovigilance is gaining a crucial role in guiding research and supporting clinical practice.