Article In Press | Published on: May 25, 2026
Volume: 3, Issue: 1
1. Vijayrao Naik college of pharmacy, shirval, Kankavli – 416602, Maharashtra, India.
Corresponding Author: Vivek Dinanath Parab, Vijayrao Naik college of pharmacy, shirval, Kankavli – 416602, Maharashtra, India.
Citation: Vivek D. Parab, Dattaram A. Parab, Jatin S. Surve, Pratham D. Vetkar, Milind D. Chormule, et al. (2026). Antidiabetic Drugs: Classification, Mechanism of Action, Therapeutic Application, and Recent Advance in Diabetes Management. Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Case Reports, RPC Publishers. 3(1),1-15.
Copyright: © 2026 Vivek Dinanath Parab, this is an open-Access article distributed under the Terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, Distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia resulting from impaired insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. It has emerged as one of the most serious global health challenges, with a rapidly increasing prevalence due to urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, dietary changes, obesity, and aging populations. According to the International Diabetes Federation, hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide are currently affected by diabetes, with Type 2 diabetes mellitus accounting for the majority of cases. Persistent hyperglycemia is associated with severe long-term complications including cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, and increased mortality. The management of diabetes requires a comprehensive approach involving lifestyle modification, dietary regulation, physical activity, and pharmacological therapy. Antidiabetic drugs play a crucial role in maintaining glycemic control and preventing disease progression and complications. Over the past few decades, significant advancements have been made in the development of antidiabetic agents targeting different pathophysiological mechanisms of diabetes. These include insulin preparations, insulin secretagogues, insulin sensitizers, incretin-based therapies, inhibitors of intestinal carbohydrate digestion, and agents that promote renal glucose excretion. Currently available antidiabetic drugs act through multiple mechanisms such as stimulation of pancreatic insulin secretion, enhancement of insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues, inhibition of hepatic glucose production, delay of intestinal glucose absorption, and modulation of incretin hormones. Modern pharmacotherapy has also expanded to include novel drug classes such as sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which not only improve glycemic control but also provide additional benefits including weight reduction and cardiovascular protection.This review provides a comprehensive overview of antidiabetic drugs including their classification, mechanisms of action, pharmacological properties, therapeutic applications, adverse effects, and recent advancements in diabetes management. Furthermore, emerging therapeutic approaches such as combination therapy, novel drug delivery systems, and innovative pharmacological targets are discussed. A better understanding of these therapeutic strategies may contribute to improved clinical outcomes and more effective management of diabetes mellitus.
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