Avandia - Definition and Overview

In medicine and pharmacology, rosiglitazone is a member of the thiazolidinedione class of drugs.

It is being marketed as Avandia® by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, both as a standalone preparation and in combination with metformin (Avandamet®).

Like other thiazolidinediones, its mechanism of action is by activation of the intracellular receptor class of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), specifically PPARγ. Rosiglitazone is a pure ligand of PPARγ, and has no PPARα-binding action. Apart from its effect on insulin resistance, it appears to have an anti-inflammatory effect: nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB) levels fall and inhibitor (IκB) levels increase in patients on rosiglitazone (Mohanty et al).

References

• Mohanty P, Aljada A, Ghanim H, Hofmeyer D, Tripathy D, Syed T, al-Haddad W, Dhindsa S, Dandona P. Evidence for a potent antiinflammatory effect of rosiglitazone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004; 89:2728-35.

Side-effects and contraindications

See main article: thiazolidinedione

See also

• Anti-diabetic drugs
• Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor

External links

• Diabetes monitor (http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/avandia.htm) article
• MedlinePlus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a699023.html) article
• Avandia / Rosiglitazone Fact Sheet (http://www.fact-sheets.com/health/drugs-medications/avandia/)