AN APPRAISAL TO THE SPECIAL SULPHONYLUREA: GLICLAZIDE

Summary Gliclazide is a second generation sulphonylurea oral hypoglycemic agent used in the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The drug, gliclazide effectively maintains glycemic control by pancreatic and possibly extra pancreatic actions, and is well tolerated by most of the patients. This drug was preferred in therapy because of its selective inhibitory activity towards pancreatic K + ATP channels, low incidence of producing severe hypoglycaemia, and other haemobiological effects. Due to several nonhypoglycemic benefits, this drug may often clinical benefits in selected groups of patients, especially those with or likely to develop micro vascular and macro vascular abnormalities due to diabetes. All these benefits have allowed gliclazide to be well placed within the array of oral hypoglycemic agents available for the control of NIDDM.