Lilly and Boehringer win FDA approval for a combo diabetes drug

Partners Eli Lilly ($LLY) and Boehringer Ingelheim picked up FDA approval for a first-of-its-kind diabetes treatment, combining two existing drugs into a single tablet. The drug, to be marketed as Glyxambi, is a cocktail of empagliflozin and linagliptin. The former blocks the protein SGLT-2, forcing excess blood sugars out through the urine, while the latter inhibits DPP-4 to spur insulin production. It's the first such combination approved in the U.S., the companies said, and, in Phase III trials, Glyxambi proved superior to either of its ingredients alone. Empagliflozin won approval last year and is marketed as Jardiance, while linagliptin hit the market in 2011 as Tradjenta. More