Successful management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires aggressive glycemic control starting at the earliest stages of the disease. Rosiglitazone/glimepiride combination therapy, with complementary mechanisms of action, has the potential to provide significant benefits over monotherapy as first line therapy. Treatment with rosiglitazone/glimepiride at this early stage of diabetes is expected to provide better glycemic control and allow a greater proportion of patients to achieve target glycemic goals than oral monotherapy.