Glucagon receptor antagonists for the treatment of type II diabetes: current prospects.

As the incidence of Type II diabetes (T2DM) will increase to 200 million cases worldwide by 2010, the search for new, effective agentsfor its treatment has been pushed into overdrive. According to Unger's bihormonal hypothesis, elevated levels of circulating glucagon in T2DM patients results in increased rates of hepatic glucose synthesis and glycogen metabolism, translating to excessive plasma glucose levels. In this context, considerable efforts have been made to identify glucagon antagonists for the treatment of T2DM. This review reflects research in this area from 1999 to 2002.