Alogliptin & Pioglitazone

Alogliptin/pioglitazone is a prescription medication used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is a combination of two prescription medications, alogliptin and pioglitazone. Alogliptin belongs to a group of drugs called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. It works by stopping the DPP-4 enzyme from removing a hormone that is responsible for telling your body to release insulin after you eat. This allows insulin to be released, which lowers blood sugar. Pioglitazone belongs to a group of drugs called thiazolidinediones. It lowers blood sugar by helping your body use its natural insulin better.

Alogliptin/pioglitazone comes in tablet form and is usually taken once daily, with or without food. Do not break or cut alogliptin/pioglitazone tablets before swallowing.

Some of the common side effects of alogliptin/pioglitazone include stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, back pain, and cold-like symptoms.

Alogliptin/pioglitazone is a prescription medication used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Alogliptin & Pioglitazone may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Oseni

Alogliptin/pioglitazone can cause other serious side effects. See "Alogliptin & Pioglitazone Precautions."

• shaking or feeling jittery
• sweating
• fast heartbeat
• change in vision
• hunger
• headache
• change in mood
• confusion
• dizziness

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• gemfibrozil (Lopid)
• hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections)
• insulin or other medications to treat diabetes
• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• midazolam (Versed)
• nifedipine (Procardia)
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, in Rifamate)

This is not a complete list of alogliptin/pioglitazone drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Alogliptin/pioglitazone can cause serious side effects, including:

• Do not take alogliptin/pioglitazone if you have severe heart failure.
• If you have heart failure with symptoms (such as shortness of breath or swelling), even if these symptoms are not severe, alogliptin/pioglitazone may not be right for you. 

​Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following:

• swelling or fluid retention, especially in the ankles or legs
• shortness of breath or trouble breathing, especially when you lie down
• an unusually fast increase in weight
• unusual tiredness

2. Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Alogliptin, one of the medicines in alogliptin/pioglitazone, may cause pancreatitis which may be severe. Certain medical conditions make you more likely to get pancreatitis.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of this medication, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving alogliptin/pioglitazone.

Before receiving alogliptin/pioglitazone, tell your doctor if you:

• have heart failure
• have a type of diabetic eye disease that causes swelling of the back of the eye (macular edema)
• have kidney or liver problems
• have or have had inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• have or have had cancer of the bladder
• have other medical conditions
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if alogliptin/pioglitazone can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the best way to control your blood sugar while you are pregnant or if you plan to become pregnant.
• are a premenopausal woman, who does not have periods regularly or at all. Alogliptin/pioglitazone may increase your chance of becoming pregnant. Talk to your doctor about birth control choices while taking alogliptin/pioglitazone. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking alogliptin/pioglitazone.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether alogliptin/pioglitazone passes into your breast milk and if it can harm your baby. You should not take alogliptin/pioglitazone if you breastfeed your baby. Talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking alogliptin/pioglitazone.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether alogliptin/pioglitazone passes into your breast milk and if it can harm your baby. You should not take alogliptin/pioglitazone if you breastfeed your baby. Talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking alogliptin/pioglitazone.

• Take alogliptin/pioglitazone exactly as your doctor tells you to take it.
• Take alogliptin/pioglitazone 1 time each day with or without food.
• Do not break or cut alogliptin/pioglitazone tablets before swallowing.
• Your doctor may need to change your dose of alogliptin/pioglitazone to control your blood glucose. Do not change your dose unless told to do so by your doctor.
• If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until it is time for your next dose, skip the missed dose, and take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses of alogliptin/pioglitazone at the same time.
• If you take too much alogliptin/pioglitazone, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.
• If your body is under stress, such as from fever, infection, accident, or surgery, the dose of your diabetes medicines may need to be changed. Call your doctor right away.
• Stay on your diet and exercise programs and check your blood sugar as your doctor tells you to.
• Your doctor may do certain blood tests before you start alogliptin/pioglitazone and during treatment as needed. Your doctor may change your dose of alogliptin/pioglitazone based on the results of your blood tests due to how well your kidneys are working.
• Your doctor will check your diabetes with regular blood tests, including your blood sugar levels and your hemoglobin A1C.
• Your doctor should check your eyes regularly while you take alogliptin/pioglitazone.

The alogliptin/pioglitazone dose your doctor recommends will depend on several factors including:

• the medications you are currently taking
• other medical conditions you have
• how well alogliptin/pioglitazone works for you
• how well you tolerate the medication (side effects)

The maximum recommended daily dose is 25 mg alogliptin and 45 mg pioglitazone.

If you take too much alogliptin/pioglitazone, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store alogliptin/pioglitazone at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Keep container tightly closed and protect from moisture and humidity.
• Keep alogliptin/pioglitazone and all medicines out of the reach of children.

WARNING: CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

• Thiazolidinediones, including pioglitazone, which is a component of alogliptin/pioglitazone, cause or exacerbate congestive heart failure in some patients.
• After initiation of alogliptin/pioglitazone, and after dose increases, monitor patients carefully for signs and symptoms of heart failure (e.g., excessive, rapid weight gain, dyspnea, and/or edema). If heart failure develops, it should be managed according to current standards of care and discontinuation or dose reduction of pioglitazone in alogliptin/pioglitazone must be considered.
• Alogliptin/pioglitazone is not recommended in patients with symptomatic heart failure.
• Initiation of alogliptin/pioglitazone in patients with established New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV heart failure is contraindicated.