Biguanide Antidiabetic Agent

**Semantic type:** Chemical Viewed Functionally

**Definition:** Any antidiabetic agent with the biguanide base structure or phenformin derivatives with antihyperglycemic activity. Biguanide antidiabetic agents activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) resulting in decreased glucose production in the liver, increased peripheral glucose uptake and improved utilization of glucose. Biguanide-based antidiabetic agents do not cause hypoglycemia. In addition, biguanide antidiabetics decrease absorption of glucose from the gastrointestinal tract.

**Synonyms:** - Biguanide