Traditionally, treatment of diabetes includes 3 main approaches: Diet & Lifestyle modifications, Oral medications (Sulfonylureas, Biguanides, Glitazones etc.) and Insulin.

Though these are quite effective, they are nowhere near mimicking the physiological control of blood sugar in a healthy person. (I will write about why current medications cannot match the physiological control in another topic.)

A new drug class to the list:

The USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) has recently approved a new medication for treatment of type 2 diabetes - called EXENATIDE. The brand name is BYETTA and is a product of Amylin-Lilly.

Exenatide is a medication given as injection. It belongs to a new group of anti-diabetic drugs called incretin mimetics. This drug derived from a poisonous Gila monster, a poisonous lizard (see picture under this post, click on the image to enlarge it) that lives in the Southwest United States and Mexico.

Exenatide injection is used in combination with metformin and/or a sulfonylurea medication to treat type 2 diabetes.

What are the mechanisms of action for Exenatide?

• Stimulates insulin secretion from the beta cells of pancreas when blood glucose is high
• Restores 1st phase insulin response (first 10 minutes after food ingested) that is specifically lost early in type 2 diabetes
• Lowers production of Glucagon after meals
• Slows gastric emptying which limits rise in blood glucose following a meal
• Reduces caloric intake causing a weight loss

This arms the desperate diabetician with another weapon to use against diabetes, but it is still NOT the perfect answer.

sir, is this drug available in malaysia? howbout the cost?

sir, how about the side effects of the exenatide? in the higher dose or if the patient is not taking their meals properly, will it cause hypogycemic coma?