New Drug Helps Control Type 2 Diabetes

Long-term use of exenatide, an experimental diabetes drug derived from lizard saliva, reduces blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes who don't do well with sulfonylurea-type drugs, investigators report. Furthermore, treatment with the new drug leads to sustained weight loss. Exenatide (also called Exendin-4) is made by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and is awaiting U.S. FDA approval. It's the first compound in a new class of drugs called incretin mimetics, which mimic hormones released in the intestinal tract that help regulate glucose levels.