Actoplus Met

Actoplus Met is commonly prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes in adults. The medication combines pioglitazone and metformin, two diabetes drugs that decrease the amount of sugar absorbed into the body and help improve insulin sensitivity. The product comes in tablet form and is usually taken once or twice a day. Possible side effects include nausea, upper respiratory tract infections, and weight gain.

 

What Is Actoplus Met?

Actoplus Met® (pioglitazone and metformin) is a prescription medication that is used to treat type 2 diabetes (also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes). It is a combination of two different diabetes medications: pioglitazone hydrochloride (Actos®) and metformin hydrochloride (Fortamet®, Glucophage®, Glucophage XR®, Glumetza®, or Riomet®).
 
(Click Actoplus Met Uses for more information on what this drug is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes It?

Actoplus Met is manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
 

How Does It Work?

Actoplus Met is a combination of two diabetes medications (pioglitazone and metformin).
 These two medications work differently and have different effects in the body:
 
  • Pioglitazone is part of a class of diabetes medications called thiazolidinediones (or sometimes called "glitazones"). This drug helps to improve insulin sensitivity. This means that pioglitazone helps your body respond to natural insulin better, which helps to lower blood sugar.
     
  • Metformin works in several ways. It decreases the amount of sugar (glucose) made by the liver. Metformin can also decrease the amount of sugar absorbed into the body (from the diet) and can make insulin receptors more sensitive, helping the body respond to its own insulin better. All of these effects cause a decrease in blood sugar levels.
     
Because Actoplus Met does not increase the amount of insulin the body produces, it is less likely to cause dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which many other diabetes drugs can do (see Actoplus Met Alternatives and Actoplus Met and Blood Sugar for more information). Actoplus Met is not intended to be used for the treatment of type 1 diabetes (see Actoplus Met and Type 1 Diabetes).
 
(Actoplus Met Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;