Polemics of pioglitazone: an appraisal in 2015

Pioglitazone is an inexpensive and effective oral drug for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. It addresses insulin resistance, one of the core pathophysiological defects in Type 2 diabetes, at both the adipose tissue and skeletal muscle level. As a majority of Type 2 diabetics classically exhibit higher insulin resistance, pioglitazone may strike exactly at the Achilles heel in this core pathogenesis. However, with the emerging association of bladder cancer with pioglitazone, French and German regulators were the first to ban or restrict pioglitazone use in 2011. The Indian regulators also suspended pioglitazone, although this ban was revoked within a month. Recently, a 10-year longitudinal study commissioned by US FDA found no association between bladder cancer and pioglitazone. Nevertheless, this controversy created a huge outcry in the medical fraternity. This review article is an overview of the development of this topic and an attempt to provide perspective on this contemporary issue.