News Blog: Scientific American Blogs

Sep 8, 2008 05:28 PM | 3 comments

Study: Once-a-week diabetes drug works better than twice-daily injection

A new once-a-week diabetes treatment may soon provide relief for millions of people with Type 2 diabetes (the variety of the disease associated with obesity that can be prevented with proper diet and exercise). Researchers report online in The Lancet today that a long-acting version of the diabetes drug exenatide controlled blood sugar levels during clinical trials better than the current two-times-a-day dosage of the same medication.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin or have cells that do not respond to insulin normally. Exenatide (also known as Byetta) mimics incretins, hormones that are naturally secreted by the intestines and that, in turn, increase insulin levels after eating. The drug increases the body's natural insulin secretion in response to food and slows food's journey through the stomach.

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