How effective is Byetta for my diabetes?

In general, type 2 diabetes is treated with diet, exercise, and oral anti diabetic drugs. Now there is a new drug called Byetta (exenatide) to treat type 2 diabetes. The drug is administered as an injection but is not like insulin at all and not meant to treat type 1 diabetes. At present, Byetta is only approved for use in combination with special oral anti diabetic drugs. Incidentally, this drug was first discovered in the saliva of the Gila monster lizards.

Byetta works by mimicking the hormone incretin- this means it mimics incretin and increases insulin production when food is consumed. It also causes the liver to produce less sugar. Another benefit of the drug is that it reduces motility in the stomach, thus giving the patient a sensation of a full stomach. This leads to less food consumption and hence more weight loss. Several studies have shown that over 24-30 weeks, one can lose close to 2-3 kgs.

Byetta is available as an injection which can be given under the skin of abdomen, thighs, or upper arms. It is usually administered twice a day before the two heavy meals of the day. The meals should be at least six hours apart. To be effective Byetta must be injected within 60 minutes before the meals. It should not be injected once the meal has been consumed or more than 60 minutes before a meal is eaten.