It is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor used for lowering post-prandial blood glucose levels in people with diabetes mellitus. Voglibose delays the absorption of glucose thereby reducing the risk of macrovascular complications. Voglibose is a research product of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company. Voglibose was first launched in 1994, under the trade name BASEN, to improve postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus.

Medical uses

For the treatment of diabetes. It is specifically used for lowering post-prandial blood glucose levels thereby reducing the risk of macrovascular complications.

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are saccharides that act as competitive inhibitors of enzymes needed to digest carbohydrates: specifically alpha-glucosidase enzymes in the brush border of the small intestines. The membrane-bound intestinal alpha-glucosidases hydrolyze oligosaccharides, trisaccharides, and disaccharides to glucose and other monosaccharides in the small intestine. Acarbose also blocks pancreatic alpha-amylase in addition to inhibiting membrane-bound alpha-glucosidases. Pancreatic alpha-amylase hydrolyzes complex starches to oligosaccharides in the lumen of the small intestine. Inhibition of these enzyme systems reduces the rate of digestion of complex carbohydrates. Less glucose is absorbed because the carbohydrates are not broken down into glucose molecules. In diabetic patients, the short-term effect of these drugs therapies is to decrease current blood glucose levels: the long term effect is a small reduction in hemoglobin-A1c level.

Mechanism of action

The anti-hypoglycemic action of voglibose results from a reversible inhibition of membrane-bound intestines α glycosidase hydrolyze enzymes which hydrolyze oligosaccharides and disaccharides to glucose and other monosaccharides in the brush border of the small intestine. It is given to patients with symptoms related to postprandial hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia.