DEERFIELD, Ill. — Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc. said ACTOplus met XR tablets, an extended-release version of the diabetes combination medication ACTOplus met (pioglitazone HCl and metformin HCl), are now available in U.S. pharmacies.

Takeda said Monday that the once-daily prescription medication, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes as an adjunct to diet and exercise, comes in two commonly used dosages of pioglitazone and metformin XR — 15 mg/1000 mg and 30 mg/1000 mg tablets — and is the first oral antidiabetic fixed-dose combination medication with the extended-release formulation of metformin.

ACTOplus met XR combines ACTOS (pioglitazone HCl) and metformin, two widely used diabetes medications with established safety profiles, in a single tablet, Takeda said. ACTOS directly targets insulin resistance, a condition in which the body doesn’t efficiently use the insulin it produces, and metformin acts primarily by reducing the amount of glucose produced in the liver.

The medications work in combination, along with diet and exercise, to help patients with type 2 diabetes improve glycemic control, according to the company.

Takeda said it’s the inventor and developer of ACTOS, which was launched commercially in the United Staets in 1999. ACTOS has been an effective and appropriate treatment for people living with type 2 diabetes and has been prescribed for more than 10 million patients to date, the company reported.

Extended-release metformin, one of the active ingredients in ACTOplus met XR, was developed by Watson Laboratories, a subsidiary of Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., and licensed to Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.