Table 2.

Desirable characteristics of the ideal drug for diabetes prevention.^a

• Efficacy: should equal or exceed the efficacy of lifestyle intervention.

• Mechanism(s): should repair the pathophysiologic defects that underlie prediabetes.

• Glucoregulation: should normalize glucose metabolism.

• Durability: effects should outlast the period of medication exposure.

• Adiposity: should induce weight loss or be weight neutral.

• Safety: should have minimal toxicity and require no safety monitoring.

• Tolerability: should be well tolerated, without GI or other adverse effects.

• NCost: should cost less than the least expensive drug for diabetes treatment.

^aModified with permission from Edeoga and Dagogo-Jack (30).