A Takeda Pharmaceuticals diabetes drug was more effective in dealing with patients’ cholesterol problems than a rival made by GlaxoSmithKline in a head-to-head study reported on Wednesday.

The 735-person, 24-week study presented at the American Heart Association scientific meeting, tested Takeda’s Actos against Glaxo’s Avandia in diabetics in whom high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, are common problems.

While both drugs were equally effective in their primary job of improving blood sugar levels, researchers found that Actos was significantly better at lowering triglycerides and raising HDL levels than Avandia.

Triglycerides are considered to be a risk factor for heart disease, while a body of evidence is building that higher HDL levels may help reduce heart risk.

Takeda has been selling Actos, or pioglitazone, in the United States since 1999 in partnership with Eli Lilly and Co. It had global sales of $1.68 billion in its last full fiscal year.

Glaxo reported combined 2003 sales of $1.66 billion for Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, and Avandamet, which combines Avandia with another diabetes drug metformin.

(additional reporting by Ransdell Pierson in New York).