Thoughts on the progression of type 2 diabetes drug discovery

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic in need of effective treatments. There has been research in recent years involving numerous drug therapies and targets. This article is a review of the progress thus far in type 2 diabetes drug discovery. Areas covered: This editorial reviews type 2 diabetes drug discovery mainly over the past decade through a literature search of PubMed. Furthermore, the author reviews several avenues of research, including the expansion of knowledge for possible drug therapies involving the beta-cell, such as targeting its proliferation, function and apoptosis. This knowledge has led to possible drug therapies in clinical trials, particularly insulin secretagogues that are glucose-dependent. Other areas of research in type 2 diabetes drug discovery discussed by the author relate to the new frontier of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the challenges of oral insulin development and drug targets of inflammation. The author also reviews sirtuin activators and resveratrol, especially its relationship to insulin resistance. Expert opinion: The progression of type 2 diabetes drug discovery holds much promise, but many agents are in the nascent stages of investigation and human trials proving efficacy are needed. Furthermore, basic science research into some of these agents may need to be further elucidated before clinical trials can be initiated.