I am diabetic

Drug Name
Starlix (Nateglinide)

Generic Name
Nateglinide (na-te-GLYE-nide)

Manufacturer / Distributor
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Looks like
Nateglinide is available with a prescription under the brand name Starlix. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.

• Starlix 60 mg – round, pink tablets
• Starlix 120 mg – oval, yellow tablets

Dosage Form
Tablets

Route Of Administration
ORAL

Imprint Code
Starlix;60 / Starlix;120

Size
10mm / 18mm

Alternatives
Diabecon, Karela, Actoplus Met

Drug Uses

 

Starlix is used to control blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes. It may be used with diet and exercise when diet and exercise alone are not successful in controlling blood glucose. It also may be used with metformin, another drug that is used for controlling blood glucose in type 2 diabetes. Starlix is not recommended if blood glucose levels have not been controlled by a sulfonylurea since starlix and sulfonylureas have a similar mechanism of action. Therefore, if sulfonylureas are ineffective, it is likely that starlix also will be ineffective. Drug class
Starlix is an oral drug used to lower blood sugar (glucose) levels in type 2 diabetes. It is in a class of drugs called meglitinides which also includes repaglinide (Prandin). Approximately 90% of patients with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in adults and is associated with obesity and a strong family history of diabetes. Insulin is an important hormone that controls the blood level of glucose. Type 2 diabetics have an inability to control blood glucose levels. This is caused by reduced secretion of insulin from the pancreas after meals and resistance of the body’s cells to the effect of insulin which is to stimulate the cells to remove glucose from the blood. This leads to high levels of blood glucose. Starlix stimulates cells in the pancreas to produce insulin in a manner similar to the class of drugs called sulfonylureas, e.g., glyburide (Diabeta, Glynase and Micronase) which also are used in type 2 diabetes. However, starlix appears to have a faster onset and a shorter duration of action than sulfonylureas. The benefit of this faster, shorter effect may be to prevent the rapid, transient rise in blood glucose that occurs in diabetics immediately following a meal.

Contains
Starlix� (nateglinide) is an oral antidiabetic agent used in the management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus [also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes].
Starlix biconvex tablets contain 60 mg, or 120 mg, of nateglinide for oral administration (active ingredient).
Inactive Ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, iron oxides (red or yellow), lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, povidone, talc, and titanium dioxide.

Chemical formula
Starlix, (-)-N-[(trans-4-isopropylcyclohexane)carbonyl]-D-phenylalanine, is structurally unrelated to the oral sulfonylurea insulin secretagogues.
The structural formula is as shown

Nateglinide is a white powder with a molecular weight of 317.43. It is freely soluble in methanol, ethanol, and chloroform, soluble in ether, sparingly soluble in acetonitrile and octanol, and practically insoluble in water.

Mechanism of Action
Nateglinide is an amino-acid derivative that lowers blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin secretion from the pancreas. This action is dependent upon functioning beta-cells in the pancreatic islets. Nateglinide interacts with the ATP-sensitive potassium (K+ATP) channel on pancreatic beta-cells. The subsequent depolarization of the beta cell opens the calcium channel, producing calcium influx and insulin secretion. The extent of insulin release is glucose dependent and diminishes at low glucose levels. Nateglinide is highly tissue selective with low affinity for heart and skeletal muscle.
How Taken
Take nateglinide exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Take each dose with a full glass of water.
Take nateglinide one to thirty minutes before meals.
If you plan to skip a meal, skip the nateglinide dose for that meal, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. If you add a meal or significantly more food to your diet than is usual, ask your doctor if you may need an additional dose of nateglinide.
It is important to take nateglinide regularly to get the most benefit.
Your healthcare provider may recommend regular monitoring of blood sugar levels with blood or urine tests and/or additional types of monitoring during treatment with nateglinide.
Dosage and Administration
The dose of nateglinide will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor’s orders or the directions on the label . The following information includes only the average doses of nateglinide. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

• Adults-60 to 120 mg three times a day taken between one and thirty minutes before meals.
• Children-Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Monotherapy and Combination with Metformin or a Thiazolidinedione
The recommended starting and maintenance dose of Starlix, alone or in combination with metformin or a thiazolidinedione, is 120 mg three times daily before meals.
The 60-mg dose of Starlix, either alone or in combination with metformin or a thiazolidinedione, may be used in patients who are near goal HbA1C when treatment is initiated.

Dosage in Geriatric Patients
No special dose adjustments are usually necessary. However, greater sensitivity of some individuals to Starlix therapy cannot be ruled out.

Dosage in Renal and Hepatic Impairment
No dosage adjustment is necessary in patients with mild-to-severe renal insufficiency or in patients with mild hepatic insufficiency. Dosing of patients with moderate-to-severe hepatic dysfunction has not been studied. Therefore, Starlix should be used with caution in patients with moderate-to-severe liver disease.

 

Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but only if you are getting ready to eat a meal. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

Overdose
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Contact 1-800-222-1222 (the American Association of Poison Control Centers), your local poison control center ( http://www.aapcc.org/findyour.htm ), or emergency room immediately. Symptoms of a Starlix overdose include:

• hunger,
• nausea,
• anxiety,
• cold sweats,
• weakness,
• drowsiness,
• loss of consciousness,
• and coma.

Storage
Store Starlix at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage at temperatures between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted.
Store in a tightly closed container.
Store away from heat, light, and moisture.
Do not store in the bathroom.
Keep Starlix out of the reach of children and away from pets.

How Supplied
60 mg
Pink, round, beveled edge tablet with “Starlix” debossed on one side and “60″ on the other.
Bottles of 100 – NDC 0078-0351-05
Bottles of 500 – NDC 0078-0351-08

120 mg
Yellow, ovaloid tablet with “Starlix” debossed on one side and “120″ on the other.
Bottles of 100 – NDC 0078-0352-05
Bottles of 500 – NDC 0078-0352-08

Most important information about Starlix

Pharmacokinetics

Possible Side Effects

More information about STARLIX (Nateglinide) :

Starlix Combination Therapy

Starlix approved for use in combination with thiazolidinedione class of antidiabetic drugs

Study: Starlix enhances glucose control in people with impaired tolerance

To buy STARLIX (Nateglinide) click HERE: My Family Drugstore

Tags: Conditions & Treatments, Medications, Starlix (Nateglinide), Type 2 Diabetes

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at 2:12 pm and is filed under Medications, Starlix, Type 2 Diabetes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.