"Our data are so strong: there is no increased risk, and so many benefits," according to Dr. Abdul-Ghani.
Both metformin and pioglitazone are available as low-cost generics, and with so many new GLP-1 agonists in the developmental pipeline, the cost of an older, twice-daily agent such as exenatide might come down, he said.
The study was funded by the American Diabetes Association with support from Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. Dr. Abdul-Ghani reported having no conflicts of interest.