Diabetes Medications List (Type 1 and 2)

Effective diabetes management calls for more than just lifestyle adjustments. Medication is also frequently used to regulate blood sugar and lessen complications. Knowing the medications that are available to you and your healthcare provider can help you make well-informed decisions regarding your treatment plan, regardless of whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a long-term condition in which blood sugar levels stay higher than normal. This happens when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or when the body can’t use the insulin it produces effectively.

According to the World Health Organization, the number of people living with diabetes has climbed from about 200 million in 1990 to more than 800 million in 2022. The increase has been especially steep in low- and middle-income countries, where access to prevention and care can be more limited.

As a result, the selection for diabetes treatments keeps growing and changing, providing a greater variety of drugs and methods catered to specific requirements, lifestyles, and medical conditions.

What are the two types of diabetes?

Diabetes has two major types: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Both these types require medications to help manage blood sugar levels.

When talking about Type 1 diabetes, it means the body cannot produce insulin (a hormone produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood).

For type 2 diabetes, it means the body doesn’t use insulin properly (insulin resistance), so glucose builds up in the bloodstream. A few years ago, this type of diabetes was once called “adult-onset diabetes”. Given the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, it’s no surprise that their treatment approaches and medications also differ.

Below, you’ll find the main medications prescribed for diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes Medications

Insulin Type

Short-acting (Regular)

Onset: About 30 minutes
Peak: 2–3 hours
Duration: 3–6 hours
Examples (US Brand Names): Humulin R U-100, Novolin R FlexPen, Novolin R ReliOn, Novolin R FlexPen ReliOn

Rapid-acting

Onset: About 15 minutes
Peak: 1–2 hours
Duration: 2–4 hours
Examples (US Brand Names):
- Inhaled insulin: Afrezza
- Insulin aspart: Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch, Fiasp PenFill, NovoLog, NovoLog FlexPen, NovoLog FlexTouch, NovoLog PenFill, ReliOn NovoLog, ReliOn NovoLog FlexPen
- Insulin glulisine: Apidra, Apidra SoloStar
- Insulin lispro: Admelog, Admelog SoloStar, Humalog, Humalog KwikPen, Humalog Junior KwikPen
- Insulin lispro-aabc: Lyumjev, Lyumjev KwikPen

Intermediate-acting

Onset: 2–4 hours
Peak: About 12 hours
Duration: 12–18 hours
Examples (US Brand Names): Insulin isophane (NPH): Humulin N U-100, Humulin N KwikPen, Novolin N, Novolin N FlexPen, Novolin N ReliOn, Novolin N FlexPen ReliOn

Long-acting

Onset: 1–2 hours (varies)
Peak: None (steady release)
Duration: Up to 24+ hours
Examples (US Brand Names):
- Insulin degludec: Tresiba, Tresiba FlexTouch
- Insulin detemir: Levemir
- Insulin glargine: Basaglar KwikPen, Lantus, Lantus SoloStar, Toujeo SoloStar, Toujeo Max SoloStar, Semglee-yfgn (insulin glargine-yfgn)
- Concentrated regular insulin: Humulin R U-500, Humulin R U-500 KwikPen

Combination (Premixed)

Onset, peak, and duration: Vary by mix; designed to cover both mealtime and basal needs
Examples (US Brand Names):
- Insulin aspart protamine/insulin aspart 70/30: NovoLog Mix 70/30, NovoLog Mix 70/30 FlexPen
- Insulin isophane/regular insulin 70/30: Humulin 70/30, Humulin 70/30 KwikPen, Novolin 70/30, Novolin 70/30 FlexPen, Novolin 70/30 FlexPen ReliOn
- Insulin lispro protamine/insulin lispro 50/50: Humalog Mix 50/50, Humalog Mix 50/50 KwikPen
- Insulin lispro protamine/insulin lispro 75/25: Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog Mix 75/25 KwikPen

Other Medications

High Blood Pressure Medications

Purpose: Protect kidney health and control blood pressure in people with diabetes
Examples / Notes: ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, enalapril) or ARBs (losartan, valsartan); typically recommended if blood pressure is greater than 140/90 mm Hg

Aspirin

Purpose: Lowers risk of heart attack or stroke (cardiovascular events)
Examples / Notes: Baby aspirin or regular aspirin daily may be recommended if your provider thinks you’re at increased cardiovascular risk; risks of bleeding should be discussed with your provider

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

Purpose: Reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and improve lipid profile to lower heart disease risk
Examples / Notes:
- Statins are most common
- ADA targets: LDL <100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L); HDL >50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) in women and >40 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) in men; triglycerides <150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

Insulin

How It Works: For people with type 2 diabetes who can’t make enough insulin. Same types used in type 1 diabetes; type depends on severity of deficiency.
Examples: See “Types of Insulin” list above (short-, rapid-, intermediate-, long-acting, premixed).

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors

How It Works: Slow the breakdown of starchy foods and sugar to lower post-meal blood sugar.
Examples / Notes: acarbose, miglitol (Glyset). Take before meals. May cause hypoglycemia if combined with other diabetes meds.

Biguanides

How It Works: Decrease glucose production in the liver and absorption in the intestines; improve muscle glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity.
Examples / Notes: metformin (Glumetza, Riomet, Riomet ER); combinations include metformin-alogliptin (Kazano), metformin-canagliflozin (Invokamet), metformin-dapagliflozin (Xigduo XR), metformin-empagliflozin (Synjardy), metformin-pioglitazone (Actoplus Met), metformin-sitagliptin (Janumet).

Dopamine-2 agonist

How It Works: May influence body rhythms and reduce insulin resistance; can also help with cholesterol or weight management.
Examples / Notes: bromocriptine (Cycloset, Parlodel).

DPP-4 inhibitors

How It Works: Block DPP-4 enzyme to preserve incretin hormones, which help the pancreas release insulin and reduce liver glucose output without causing hypoglycemia.
Examples / Notes: alogliptin (Nesina); linagliptin (Tradjenta); saxagliptin (Onglyza); sitagliptin (Januvia); and combination products such as Kazano, Glyxambi, Jentadueto, Kombiglyze XR, Janumet, Juvisync.

GLP-1 receptor agonists

How It Works: Mimic incretin hormones to increase insulin secretion, slow stomach emptying, reduce glucagon, suppress appetite, and may aid weight loss. ADA recommends certain agents for people with cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease.
Examples / Notes: dulaglutide (Trulicity); exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon BCise); liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda); lixisenatide (Adlyxin); semaglutide (Ozempic); tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

Meglitinides

How It Works: Stimulate the pancreas to release insulin; risk of hypoglycemia especially with kidney disease.
Examples / Notes: nateglinide (Starlix); repaglinide (Prandin).

SGLT2 inhibitors

How It Works: Prevent kidneys from reabsorbing glucose so it is excreted in urine. ADA recommends for people with cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease.
Examples / Notes: canagliflozin (Invokana); dapagliflozin (Farxiga); empagliflozin (Jardiance); ertugliflozin (Steglatro); and combination forms such as Invokamet, Xigduo XR, Qtern, Synjardy, Trijardy XR.

Sulfonylureas

How It Works: One of the oldest diabetes drug classes; stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin.
Examples / Notes: glimepiride (Amaryl); glipizide (Glucotrol XL); glyburide (Glynase); and combinations such as Duetact, Glucovance.

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs)

How It Works: Reduce liver glucose production and improve insulin sensitivity in fat tissue. Increased risk of heart problems.
Examples / Notes: pioglitazone (Actos); rosiglitazone (Avandia); and combinations such as Oseni, Duetact, Actoplus Met.

Things to Consider In Choosing Diabetes Medications

Choosing the right diabetes medication isn’t one-size-fits-all. Before starting or changing any treatment, it’s important to remember these key considerations:

Blood sugar trends and the A1C target
Impact on weight (some drugs cause weight gain, others cause weight loss)
Heart and kidney health (some medications have extra advantages)
Price and insurance protection
Tolerability and adverse effects
A healthcare professional will customize a treatment plan according to each patient’s requirements, comorbidities, and objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can people with Type 1 diabetes use oral diabetes medications?

Type 2 diabetes is the target of the majority of oral diabetes treatments. Individuals with Type 1 diabetes usually require insulin, but they may also take drugs to protect their kidneys or heart.

Which diabetes drugs help with weight loss?

In addition to lowering blood sugar, SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as tirzepatide or semaglutide) can promote modest weight loss.

How often should I review my diabetes medications with my provider?

Reviewing your treatment is advised at least once a year, or sooner if you encounter side effects or your blood sugar goals aren’t being reached.

Are generic diabetes drugs as effective as brand names?

Yes. The FDA requires generics to have the same active ingredients and effectiveness as brand-name drugs, although the appearance may differ.

How do lifestyle changes interact with diabetes medications?

Healthy eating, regular physical activity, stress management, and blood sugar monitoring can improve medication effectiveness and help achieve better control.

A Healthy Lifestyle Still Matters

For the best diabetes control, lifestyle modifications such as regular monitoring, stress management, physical activity, and balanced nutrition are still necessary even with the best medications.

To ensure that treatment plans genuinely fit their daily lives, we at iCare Med Group in Monterey Park and Rowland Heights encourage patients to make an appointment for individualized consultations. Learn how we partner with patients for lifelong health.

Our team, led by Dr. Edwin Yau, adopts a comprehensive strategy to help you attain long-lasting, sustainable results by addressing physical and mental health, blood sugar control, and preventive care.