Clinical trials with DBI, a new nonsulfonylurea oral hypoglycemic agent.

Abstract

The current medical literature contains many reports of studies with oral hypoglycemic agents.^1-3These substances thus far have been sulfonylurea derivatives with blood-sugar-lowering ability in certain types of diabetes. Within the last year studies were started with a new group of compounds classified as formamidinyliminoureas. These drugs are biguanides, not to be confused with the diguanidines, which include Synthalin (guanidine-deca-methylene-guanidine) (Fig. 1). They also have no structural relationship to either carbutamide or tolbutamide and have no sulfonyl radical in their formulae. Ungar et al.⁴recently reported that one of these agents, phenethylformamidinyliminourea hydrochloride, was effective orally in both normal and alloxandiabetic animals. He also reported⁵the uptake of glucose by a rat diaphragm preparation. Williams⁶reported a hypoglycemic effect in animals, and Nielsen et al.⁷stated that this hypoglycemic effect was observed in depancreatized animals. Pomeranze⁸first demonstrated successful hypoglycemic effects in clinical trials with patients. This present report is