Saxagliptin (Onglyza(®)) is a highly potent, reversible, competitive dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. Numerous well-designed clinical studies and their extensions showed that saxagliptin as monotherapy or as dual or triple combination therapy with other antihyperglycaemics improved glycaemic control and was generally well tolerated in patients with type 2 diabetes during ≤2 years' therapy. Saxagliptin was generally weight-neutral and had a low risk of hypoglycaemia (unless coadministered with agents that may be associated with hypoglycaemia, such as sulfonylureas or insulin). In addition, at a median follow-up of 2.1 years in the large SAVOR-TIMI 53 study, with the exception of a 27 % greater risk of hospitalization for heart failure, the addition of saxagliptin to standard of care neither reduced nor increased the rate of ischemic cardiovascular events in at-risk patients. Although further long-term data will be beneficial, current evidence indicates that saxagliptin is a useful option for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.