Diabetes Update #3 Day 1, Friday June 10 from the American Diabetes Association National Meeting
Diabetes Conference - Extenetide (Byetta) Facts
Dr. Ruchi Mathur offers
perspectives of interest on topics from the American Diabetes Association's 65th
Annual Scientific Sessions (held in San Diego, California June 10-14, 2005)
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Listen now to
Day 1 Exenetide (Byetta) new drug facts from Dr. Ruchi Mathur who is at the diabetes conference in
San Diego
(MP3 2:23min 2.18MB) |
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This is Dr. Ruchi Mathur updating you from the American Diabetes Associations
65th Scientific Symposia. As promised in my last update, some interesting facts
about a new drug that has it's origins in the saliva of a desert lizard.
The Gila monster can go for prolonged periods without
eating. When studied it was found to produce a protein that helped to slow the
emptying of its stomach- so it stayed full for extended periods. This protein is
very similar to one that human's make- called GLP-1. Well, researchers have now
made a synthetic GLP-1, which has recently been FDA approved for the treatment
of diabetes
. It is called
Exenetide, and marketed under the name Byetta. This injectable medication slows
stomach emptying, increases a feeling of fullness, reduces glucagon release from
the liver (glucagons causes the release of sugar from the liver into the blood
stream) and may help the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas live longer.
These attributes of Exenitide have been known and extensively studied. What
has not been unknown (until now) is whether there is any improvement in
cardiovascular risk factors with this therapy. The first data looking at this
question was presented this afternoon. It included subjects on Byetta for up to
82 weeks. There was a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, though
modest. More interestingly, there was a significant weight loss that occurred
inpatients treated with Byetta, and this weight loss was sustained- or actually
continued to accrue out to 82 weeks. In some patients this weight loss was as
much as 24 pounds. When compared, patients who lost the most weight had a more
significant drop in their triglycerides and a more significant increase in their
HDL, or good cholesterol.
Thus, this new medication appears to have many benefits, among which is weight
loss. Byetta may be a medication to discuss with your physician if you have type
2 diabetes and are overweight. Read and hear the
next installment from
the conference.
Check back on our
Diabetes center for the daily updates!
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