Insulin Glargine in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus for at least 5 years; * Treatment with oral antidiabetic drugs in fixed combination (Combo, i.e. glibenclamide 2.5 mg + metformin 400 mg, 2 or 3 tablets, at stable dose in the last 3 months); * HbA1c \>= 8% and \<= 11%; * Body mass index (BMI) \> 27 and \< 35 kg/m2; * Willingness and demonstrated ability to inject insulin; * Demonstrated ability and willingness to perform self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG); Exclusion criteria: * Patients diagnosed with type 1 insulin dependent diabetes; * Patients with latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA), defined as fasting C-peptide levels \< 1 ng/ml; * Cardiac status NYHA III-IV; * Impaired renal function as shown by (but not limited to) serum creatinine \>= 1.5 mg/dl for males or \>= 1.4 mg/dl for females; * Planned pregnancy, pregnant or lactating females; * Failure to use adequate contraception (women of current reproductive potential only); * Any current malignancy, previous breast cancer, or malignant melanoma within the past 5 years; * Diagnosis of dementia * Hypersensitivity to insulin or any of their components or to metformin; * Current or previous insulin therapy other than during hospitalisations; * Inability or unwillingness to continue metformin at study dosages throughout the study; * Treatment with intermittent doses of systemic steroids or large doses of inhaled steroids for the past one year (fixed doses for the past 6 months is acceptable providing there is no plan to change the dosage regime); * Stroke, Myocardial Infarction (MI), Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA), or Angina Pectoris within the last 12 months; * History of drug or alcohol abuse; * Receipt of an experimental drug or use of an experimental device within the 30 days prior to study entry;