Glimepiride is an orally active hypoglycaemic substance belonging to the sulphonylurea group. It may be used in the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Glimepiride acts mainly by stimulating insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. As with other sulphonylureas this effect is based on an increase of responsiveness of the pancreatic beta cells to the physiological glucose stimulus. In addition, Glimepiride seems to have pronounced extra-pancreatic effects also postulated for other sulphonylureas.