Toward improved glycemic control in diabetes. What's on the horizon?

It has now been firmly established that maintenance of good glycemic control can prevent or retard the development of the microvascular complications of type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes. Although not yet definitively established, it is likely that optimal control of plasma glucose will also assist in the prevention of such problems in type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. While a limited range of therapeutic agents for the treatment of hyperglycemia is currently available, a number of newer therapies are currently undergoing evaluation. In this review, we provide an overview of such treatments and assess their likely place in the therapeutic armamentarium over the next few years.