Metformin was first produced from the French lilac or goat's rue ("Galega officinalis"). Its blood sugar-lowering property was first described in 1929 by Slotta and Tschesche. Metformin became available in Britain in 1958 and got approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for type 2 diabetes in 1994. Today, Metformin has become the world's most widely used medication to treat type 2 diabetes.