Dong-A ST said Wednesday that it has launched a combination drug, Sugatree Tab, for type 2 diabetes.

Sugatree combines evogliptin 5 mg, the main component of Suganon, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, with dapagliflozin 10 mg, sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor, and 1,000 mg of metformin.

According to Dong-A ST, evogliptin lowers blood sugar even at low doses and has little effect on the metabolism of other drugs, enabling more adherent for patients with chronic diseases who need to take multiple medications. It has the advantage of being used without dose adjustment in patients with reduced kidney function.

Dapagliflozin also lowers blood sugar with effectiveness in cardiac and renal metabolic diseases, being recommended for diabetics with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic heart failure, and chronic renal failure. Metformin lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin resistance.

In a phase 1 trial, concluded in June last year, Sugatree showed equivalent bioavailability compared to evogliptin, dapagliflozin, and metformin taken separately, Dong-A  ST said.

Suganon was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2015 as the 26th new drug in Korea. Sugamet, a combination of suganon and metformin, was also approved in 2015, and in March 2023, Sugadapa, a suganon and dapagliflozin combo, was approved.

"With the launch of Sugatree, following Suganon, Sugamet, and Sugadapa, we are expanding the Suganon family lineup to provide a variety of treatment options for patients with diabetes, a Dong-A ST official said. “We hope that Sugatree, which is covered by health insurance as a diabetes treatment, will ease the burden of diabetes patients and help them to be free from the pain of diabetes."