Only a generation ago, drug options for treating diabetes were extremely limited. But while insulin remains the main diabetes drug used to treat Type 1 diabetics, dramatic changes are taking place in the array of drugs used to treat the far-more-common Type 2 diabetes.

For years, sulfonylureas formed the most common approach to helping Type 2 diabetics lower their blood sugar by stimulating the release of insulin. Second-generation sulfonylureas -- glipizide, glyburide, glimepiride -- are still widely used as part of the first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes, often today in combination with metformin.

But in recent years, glitazones such as Actos and Avandia have been added to the mix. And in 2005, the new generation injectable drug Byetta was approved for use in conjuction with metformin and a sulfonylurea to improve glucose control. Yet another step forward occurred with the introduction of the first new DPP-4 inhibitor, Januvia.

But are the new drugs really better? The Diabetes Drug Report, updated daily, will provide the latest news on the fast-changing world of diabetes drugs, serving as an independent resource for Type 2 diabetics -- helping empower more informed discussions with doctors.