[Incretin-based therapy for treating patients with type 2 diabetes].

In the last couple of years, a new class of antidiabetic drugs became available for the clinical practice. Due to the intensive research, several new drugs reached the market. Among the incretinmimetics both the GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide-1)-receptor agonist exenatide and the GLP-1-analogue liraglutide can be used for treatment. As for incretin enhancers (dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 [DPP-4]-inhibitors), sitagliptin, vildagliptin and saxagliptin are available in Hungary, linagliptin will be introduced to the market in the near future. In clinical practice, any incretin-based new drugs can be used for treating patients with type 2 diabetes, preferably in combination with metformin. The clinical experiences with these new drugs are reviewed focusing on both the benefits and the potential side-effects of the particular compounds.