Glipizide: a review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic use

Glipizide is a 'second generation' oral hypoglycaemic agent similar in potency to glibenclamide. It is completely absorbed after oral administration and has a rapid onset of action, but the duration of its hypoglycaemic effect is shorter than that of glibenclamide. It is rapidly metabolised to inactive metabolites which are excreted in the urine. Therapeutic trials have shown the efficacy of glipizide in maturity onset diabetes mellitus to be comparable with that of glibenclamide and chlorpropamide in newly diagnosed patients unresponsive to diet as well as in patients previously treated with oral hypoglycaemic drugs. Glipizide is well tolerated, but careful adjustment of dosage and attention to diet may be needed to avoid hypoglycaemic symptoms a few hours after a single daily dose.