Doctors treating newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients with very high sugars often use short-term intensive insulin therapy (SIIT) to reset the pancreas fast. 
This multicenter trial published in the Journal of Diabetes tested if adding common oral diabetes pills right after improves results. The researchers enrolled 245 adults and split them into three groups: two weeks of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) alone, or that insulin pump treatment plus 90 days of metformin and pioglitazone, or insulin plus sitagliptin. Everyone started with average HbA1c around 10.6%. 
The main goal was checking diabetes remission rates at one year. Teams also tracked insulin needs, time in tight sugar range, pancreas response, and insulin resistance over 12 months.
Pills Cut Insulin Needs During Pump Phase
Both combo groups needed less total daily insulin and less before-meal shots than the insulin-only group. They spent more time in the narrow target sugar range too. Right after the two-week pump, both pill groups showed stronger acute insulin response from the pancreas.
Fast Sugar Wins Fade Over Year
Three months after stopping the pump, 78.7% in the metformin-pioglitazone group hit HbA1c under 6.5%, beating the 59% in the insulin-alone group. Sitagliptin added similar early gains. But by 12 months, remission rates matched across all three arms—no lasting edge from the pills.
Short Help Beats Insulin Alone Early
The pills made the tough pump phase easier with lower doses and better control. Pancreas function bounced back quicker too.
Plan Longer Treatment for Real Fixes
Endocrinologists see value in pills during insulin jump-start for new severe cases, but one year shows need for extended steps to maintain gains.