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Medicine modeled on lizard ‘spit’
now available in the UK
Lilly, Basingstoke, 8 May 2007 BYETTA® (exenatide), the first in a new class of medicines known as incretin mimetics and used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes (in conjunction with oral antidiabetic therapy) is now available in the UK. Exenatide is based on a synthetic version of a chemical found in the saliva of the Gila monster lizard which is native to North America and Mexico.1 “The development of exenatide is an excellent example of how greater understanding of the physiology of humans can lead to innovative treatment discoveries. The GLP-1 mechanism plays an important role as an incretin in regulating blood glucose, intestinal food absorption, and appetite. The Gila monster only eats three or four times a year, and a compound produced in its salivary glands called exendin-4 may help them digest these meals very slowly over time. That is an advantageous quality when translated into controlling diabetes,” commented Michael Trautmann, Medical Fellow, Lilly. Diabetes researchers first isolated the compound called exendin-42 in the saliva of the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum).2 The researchers discovered that the Gila’s exendin-4 acts much like the hormone found in humans called glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1).2 In humans, GLP-1 works by stimulating beta cells in the pancreas to produce insulin in response to raised blood sugar.2,3,4 This research led Eli Lilly and Company and Amylin Pharmaceuticals to develop a synthetic version (exenatide) of exendin-4 for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, wild populations of Helodermalizards are declining rapidly with some species facing extinction as a result of habitat loss and illegal hunting for the pet trade. This has led to the establishment of Project Heloderma (in Central and North America) by the International Reptile Conservation Foundation. The Heloderma project aims to save the endangered Guatemalan beaded lizard from imminent extinction. Support of this initiative is fully encouraged by the Zoological Society of London with Eli Lilly and Company making a charitable contribution to Project Heloderma over the next three years. “The Gila monster is an amazing reptile and one without which this valuable discovery would not have been made. Worryingly, both the Gila monster and its close relative, the beaded lizard, are under serious threat, a situation that Project Heloderma is trying to address. I hope that further awareness of its role in this exciting medication will highlight the importance of preserving the habitat of Gila monsters and related species,” commented Richard Gibson, Curator of Herpetology, Zoological Society of London. Project Heloderma Gila monsters are under threat in the wild and their close relatives, the beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum), even more so. The Guatemalan beaded lizard is facing extinction due to local extermination and loss of habitat for agricultural purposes in southeastern Guatemala. Project Heloderma’s mission is to educate local residents within the Motagua valley in Guatemala, secure protected area, and develop a breeding/headstart program to replenish the declining population. For further information please visit www.ircf.org/projectheloderma. In consultation with the Zoological Society of London, this project is supported by a charitable contribution from Eli Lilly and Company over the next three years. About BYETTA Exenatide is the first in a new class of medicines known as incretin mimetics and was authorised for use in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2005 and in Europe by the EMEA in November 2006. Administering Byetta Byetta is an injectable therapy that needs to be injected twice daily at any time within the 60- minute period before the morning and evening meals (or before the two main meals of the day, approximately 6 hours or more apart).5 It will be made available in both a 5-microgram per dose and a 10-microgram per dose pre-filled pen injector device.5 Byetta is indicated for treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in combination with metformin, and/or sulphonylureas in patients who have not achieved adequate glycaemic control on maximally tolerated doses of these oral therapies.5 Prepared May 2007 EX 213 References
(5/5/07) |
