Lizard Spit and Diabetics

Lizard spit is helping some Type 2 diabetics lose weight. Don't worry.
They don't have to drink it. They inject it. Byetta, a drug whose
active ingredient is the synthetic version of a protein produced in the
spit of the Gila monster, has been found to cause considerable weight
loss in some of its users.

Important to note is that it is not marketed as a drug for weight loss; but for sugar control with diabetics. It is not intended to substitute for insulin, but rather increases the effectiveness of insulin. It works by mimicking a hormone called incretin. Incretin is manufactured in the upper gut, and works to suppress glucagon secretion. In diabetics, this hormone seems to be deficient.

Byetta was developed after Dr. John Eng, an endocrinologist at New York City's Bronx VA Medical Center, convinced Amilyn and Eli Lilly of the potentially therapeutic benefits of a protein he had discovered in the Gila monster's saliva. Some 200 patients taking the drug were monitored for three years.

The patients lost an average of 11 pounds, with the most pounds shed in the first year. Considering that the average Body Mass Index (BMI) of patients in the study was 33.5, the weight loss was described as "modest" by lead researcher Dr. John Buse, chief of endocrinology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's School of Medicine.

The findings are promising for patients with Type 2 diabetes since obesity is a major contributor to the disease and some diabetes treatments can cause weight gain.

Byetta is a self-injected synthetic hormone or incretin mimetic that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005. In addition to boosting insulin production in patients, Byetta curbs the rate at which the stomach empties itself and may interact with the region of the brain responsible for the sensation of fullness.

It also suppresses the secretion of glucagon. As blood glucose levels normalize, the pancreas secretes glucagon. Glucagon serves as a counter-regulatory hormone that raises blood glucose levels to prevent insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Byetta's ability to curb this secretion assists in the over-all ability of this medication to control sugar levels in diabetics.

Diabetes progressively worsens over time. Over time, there has been a demonstrated progressive deterioration in beta-cell function and glycemic control, even in patients randomized to intensive treatment regimens. Eventually, many people will require insulin to successfully control their blood glucose levels. Despite the availability of several treatment options, achieving goal blood glucose and HbA1c levels remains a challenge for many patients with type 2 diabetes. The incretin mimetics is a new class of drug that may offer the potential for better glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Sources

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/byetta/AN01315

Interview: Donna Neusch VAMC Jackson MS, October 4, 2007

Pharmaceutical Executives Formulary
http://www.formularyjournal.com/formulary/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=315938