RIDGEFIELD, Conn. and INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Synjardy® (empagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride) tablets, from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

The FDA has approved a new medication that, combined with diet and exercise, is meant to improve blood sugar control in diabetes patients.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced top-line results for four completed Phase III clinical trials for empagliflozin, an investigational sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor being studied for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Roche announced that Lucentis ( ranibizumab injection) was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of diabetic macular edema ( DME ), an eye condition in people with diabetes that causes blurred vision, severe vision loss and sometimes blindness.

Novo Nordisk announced that the US Food and Drug Administration FDA) has approved to update the product label for Victoza ( liraglutide [ rDNA ] injection). Research data shows superior blood sugar control and weight reduction.

GlaxoSmithKline announced that topline results have been received from seven of the eight Harmony Phase III studies investigating the use of albiglutide in type 2 diabetes. Albiglutide is an investigational once weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 ( GLP-1 ) agonist.

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company BYETTA  ( exenatide twice-daily) as an adjunctive therapy to basal insulin, with or without metformin and/or Actos  ( pioglitazone ), for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults who have not achieved adequate glycemic control with these agents.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Jentadueto  ( linagliptin / metformin hydrochloride) tablets, a new tablet combining the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 ( DPP-4 ) inhibitor, linagliptin , and metformin .   

Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, and another 79 million have prediabetes. That's about 30 percent of all Americans with a diabetes problem.