Gila monster saliva has medicinal value
Published: Tue, Jun. 26, 2007 12:00AM
Modified Tue, Jun. 26, 2007 02:41AM
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closeCHAPEL HILL -- A substance found in the saliva of the Gila monster can help people with type 2 diabetes control glucose and lose weight, according to a three-year study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.
Exenatide, a synthetic form of the substance found in the saliva, is manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co.
The drug, marketed as Byetta, won approval by the Food and Drug Administration in April 2005 to treat type 2 diabetes in patients who have trouble getting their blood sugar under control with other medications.
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The weight loss factor is important because being overweight and weight gain is an almost universal problem for people with diabetes, said John Buse, the lead researcher in the study and the chief of endocrinology at UNC's medical school.
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