How is byetta made

In studies, Byetta was given in addition to sulfonylureas, another common diabetes drug called metformin, or a combination of the older treatments. The most common side effect was nausea. Also, patients who take Byetta with a sulfonylurea may need doses of that older drug reduced to avoid hypoglycemia, the manufacturers said. The FDA encouraged the manufacturers to submit additional studies to show whether Byetta could eventually become a stand-alone treatment for Type 2 diabetes.

Now the compound is being investigated for its anti-obesity properties as well, since it also slows stomach emptying, reinforcing feelings of fullness after eating. Until around five years ago, the gila monster was thought to be one of just two venomous lizards — the other being the closely related beaded lizard found in nearby Mexico. We now know that lizards and snakes share a common venomous ancestor, and that many lizards — from iguanas to komodo dragons — which were never suspected of being venomous, come equipped with venom glands Nature , vol , p Existing subscribers, please log in with your email address to link your account access.

Insulin helps move sugar from the blood into other body tissues where it is used for energy. The lizard hormone remains effective much longer than the human hormone, and thus its synthetic form helps diabetics keep their blood sugar levels from getting too high.

Exenatide also slows the emptying of the stomach and causes a decrease in appetite, which is how it leads to weight loss. The results being reported now come from following patients who took exenatide for three years.

In the study, Buse and colleagues analyzed data from diabetes patients. After three years of treatment, most patients showed sustained reductions in blood sugar levels, in blood biomarkers that indicate liver injury and sustained, progressive weight loss averaging 11 pounds. Stonehouse, Ph. Malone, M. Eli Lilly of Indianapolis and co-marketer Amylin Pharmaceuticals of San Diego say their new type 2 diabetes drug -- Byetta exenatide -- will be in drug stores by June.

The drug, which is an insulin sensitizer, was approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes in combination with older medications such as metformin.