Repaglinide Accord

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not make enough insulin to control the level of glucose in the blood or when the body is unable to use insulin effectively. Repaglinide Accord helps the pancreas to produce more insulin at mealtimes and is used to control type-2 diabetes.

Repaglinide Accord is a medicine that contains the active substance repaglinide. It is available as round tablets (0.5 mg, 1 mg and 2 mg).

Repaglinide Accord is a ‘generic medicine’. This means that Repaglinide Accord is similar to a ‘reference medicine’ already authorised in the European Union (EU) called NovoNorm.

Repaglinide Accord is used in patients who have type-2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes). It is used together with diet and exercise to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels in patients whose hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose levels) cannot be controlled by diet, weight reduction and exercise. Repaglinide Accord may also be used with metformin (another anti-diabetes medicine) in type-2 diabetes patients whose blood glucose levels are not satisfactorily controlled on metformin alone.

The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.

Repaglinide Accord is taken before meals, normally up to 15 minutes before each main meal. The dose is adjusted to give the best control. A doctor should regularly test the patient’s blood glucose to find the lowest effective dose. Repaglinide Accord can also be used for type-2 diabetes patients whose blood glucose levels are usually controlled well on diet, but are experiencing temporary loss of blood glucose control.

The recommended starting dose is 0.5 mg. This dose may need to be increased after one or two weeks.

If patients are transferred from another anti-diabetes medicine, the recommended starting dose is 1 mg.

Repaglinide Accord is not recommended for patients below 18 years of age because of a lack of information on safety and effectiveness in this age group.

Because Repaglinide Accord is a generic medicine, studies in patients have been limited to tests to determine that it is bioequivalent to the reference medicine. Two medicines are bioequivalent when they produce the same levels of the active substance in the body.

The CHMP concluded that, in accordance with EU requirements, Repaglinide Accord has been shown to have comparable quality and to be bioequivalent to the reference medicine. Therefore, the CHMP’s view was that, as for NovoNorm, the benefit outweighs the identified risk. The Committee recommended that Repaglinide Accord be given marketing authorisation.

Because Repaglinide Accord is a generic medicine and is bioequivalent to the reference medicine, its benefits and risks are taken as being the same as the reference medicine’s.

The European Commission granted a marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union for Repaglinide Accord on 22 December 2011.

For more information about treatment with Repaglinide Accord, read the package leaflet (also part of the EPAR) or contact your doctor or pharmacist.