Pioglitazone
Also known as: Actos · Pioglitazone Actavis · Pioglitazone Accord
General information only. Anpheros does not diagnose and does not recommend treatment. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your situation. In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
In short
In the European Union, pioglitazone is indicated to treat type-2 diabetes mellitus as monotherapy in patients, particularly those who are overweight, who are inadequately controlled by diet and exercise and for whom metformin is inappropriate due to contraindications or intolerance. It is also indicated in the European Union as dual oral therapy with metformin or a sulphonylurea, as triple oral therapy with metformin and a sulphonylurea, or in combination with insulin. In the United States, pioglitazone is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pioglitazone should not be used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, and it is listed by the cited source as having an approved use for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
From: Source: European Medicines Agency (EMA), Actos — EPAR, 28/08/2023. © European Medicines Agency. · Data provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. · Source: European Medicines Agency (EMA) — EPAR. © European Medicines Agency.
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
- RxNorm
- 33738 pioglitazone
- EMA
- EMEA/H/C/000285, EMEA/H/C/002324, EMEA/H/C/002277
Official indications
Quoted unchanged from official product information, in English. Listed alphabetically by product, not ranked.
EMA (EU) Actos
Pioglitazone is indicated in the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus: as monotherapy: in patients (particularly overweight patients) inadequately controlled by diet and exercise for whom metformin is inappropriate because of contraindications or intolerance; as dual oral therapy in combination with: metformin, in patients (particularly overweight patients) with insufficient glycaemic control despite maximal tolerated dose of monotherapy with metformin; a sulphonylurea, only in patients who show intolerance to metformin or for whom metformin is contraindicated, with insufficient glycaemic control despite maximal tolerated dose of monotherapy with a sulphonylurea; as triple oral therapy in combination with: metformin and a sulphonylurea, in patients (particularly overweight patients) with insufficient glycaemic control despite dual oral therapy. Pioglitazone is also indicated for combination with insulin in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients with insufficient glycaemic control on insulin for whom metformin is inappropriate because of contraindications or intolerance.
Source: European Medicines Agency (EMA), Actos — EPAR, 28/08/2023. © European Medicines Agency.
Document date: 28/08/2023 · Official document →
FDA (USA) Pioglitazone
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Monotherapy and Combination Therapy Pioglitazone tablets are indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in multiple clinical settings [see Clinical Studies (14) ] . Important Limitations of Use Pioglitazone tablets exert its antihyperglycemic effect only in the presence of endogenous insulin. Pioglitazone tablets should not be used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, as it would not be effective in these settings. Use caution in patients with liver disease [see ] . Pioglitazone is a thiazolidinedione and an agonist for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in multiple clinical settings. ( 14) Important Limitations of Use: • Not for treatment of type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. ()
Data provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Document date: 20260817 · Official document →
Related terms in the cited sources
Has an official indication for
- Type 2 diabetes Condition
In alphabetical order.
Other treatments A–Z
What people report
Not enough data yet. Anonymous counts appear here only for groups of at least 20 people who agreed to share them.
External resources
Questions
What is Pioglitazone approved for in the European Union?
Pioglitazone is indicated in the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus: as monotherapy: in patients (particularly overweight patients) inadequately controlled by diet and exercise for whom metformin is inappropriate because of contraindications or intolerance; as dual oral therapy in combination with: metformin, in patients (particularly overweight patients) with insufficient glycaemic control despite maximal tolerated dose of monotherapy with metformin; a sulphonylurea, only in patients who show intolerance to metformin or for whom metformin is contraindicated, with insufficient glycaemic control despite maximal tolerated dose of monotherapy with a sulphonylurea; as triple oral therapy in combination with: metformin and a sulphonylurea, in patients (particularly overweight patients) with insufficient glycaemic control despite dual oral therapy. Pioglitazone is also indicated for combination with insulin in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients with insufficient glycaemic control on insulin for whom metformin is inappropriate because of contraindications or intolerance. (Source: European Medicines Agency (EMA), Actos — EPAR, 28/08/2023. © European Medicines Agency.)
Sources and attribution
- Source: European Medicines Agency (EMA) — EPAR. © European Medicines Agency.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- Data provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- This product uses publicly available data from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; NLM is not responsible for the product and does not endorse or recommend this or any other product.
- Source: European Medicines Agency (EMA), Actos — EPAR, 28/08/2023. © European Medicines Agency.
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
About this page. This page brings together public information from official sources, each cited where it is used. It is not medical advice, it is not a diagnosis, and it does not tell you which treatment to take.
Treatments. Indications are quoted unchanged from official product information (European Medicines Agency, U.S. Food and Drug Administration). They describe what a medicine is approved for, not whether it is right for you. Approved uses can differ between countries. Always read the package leaflet and follow your doctor's or pharmacist's advice.
What people report. Figures marked "reported by Anpheros users" are anonymous counts from at least 20 people who agreed to share them. They show what people report, not what works, and they are not clinical evidence.
Links between terms. "May be associated with" means the link appears in a cited source. It does not mean you have that condition.
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