FDA Approves of BYETTA™ (Exenatide) Injection for Type 2 Diabetes, drug derived from Gila monster

FDA Approves of BYETTA™ (Exenatide) Injection for Type 2 Diabetes, drug derived from Gila monster: "he US FDA has approved BYETTA™ (exenatide) injection as adjunctive therapy to improve blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes who have not achieved adequate control on metformin and/or a sulfonylurea, two common oral diabetes medications. BYETTA (pronounced bye-A-tuh), the trade name for exenatide, is the first in a new class of medicines known as incretin mimetics. BYETTA will be available to pharmacies by June 1, 2005.

BYETTA improves blood sugar control by lowering both postmeal and fasting glucose levels leading to better long-term control as measured by hemoglobin A1C. BYETTA does this through several actions, including the stimulation of insulin secretion only when blood sugar is high and by restoring the first- phase insulin response, an activity of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that is lost in patients who have type 2 diabetes. Most patients in the long-term BYETTA clinical studies also experienced reductions in weight. "