Bharati, Sanjay (2022) Exploring new drug targets for type 2 diabetes: Success, challenges and opportunities. Biomedicines, 10 (2). pp. 2-18. ISSN 2227-9059

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Abstract

There are substantial shortcomings in the drugs currently available for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The global diabetic crisis has not abated despite the introduction of new types of drugs and targets. Persistent unaddressed patient needs remain a significant factor in the quest for new leads in routine studies. Drug discovery methods in this area have followed developments in the market, contributing to a recent rise in the number of molecules. Nevertheless, troubling developments and fresh challenges are still evident. Recently, metformin, the most widely used first-line drug for diabetes, was found to contain a carcinogenic contaminant known as N-nitroso dimethylamine (NDMA). Therefore, purity and toxicity are also a big challenge for drug discovery and development. Moreover, newer drug classes against SGLT-2 illustrate both progress and difficulties. The same was true previously in the case of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors. Furthermore, researchers must study the importance of mechanistic characteristics of novel compounds, as well as exposure-related hazardous aspects of current and newly identified protein targets, in order to identify new pharmacological molecules with improved selectivity and specificity.

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