Recent large-scale studies in patients with type 2 diabetes have suggested that improved glycemic control will reduce the incidence and severity of chronic complications. However, it is difficult to maintain the blood glucose levels of diabetic patients within a narrow range. Since insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion cause hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes, both improvement of insulin resistance and compensation for defective insulin secretion are necessary. Recently, the first insulin sensitizer was released, and a short-acting insulinotropic agent, which should be more convenient for strict glycemic control than sulfonylureas, has also been launched. This review focuses on these two new classes of hypoglycemic agents.