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Once a Week Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes

In 2008, ScienceDaily reported on a study published in Lancet that tested the efficacy of Exenatide, a drug used to control type 2 diabetes by simulating the effect of the hormone GLP-1. Dr. Daniel Drucker of Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada, and a team of researchers conducted a 30-week trial to determine if Exenatide administered once weekly would yield the same benefits as the current regimen that requires patients to inject the drug twice daily. The results of the study demonstrated significant improvement in blood sugar control utilizing the once-weekly regimen.

  1. GLP-1

    • In 2003, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, discovered the connection between GLP-1, produced in your intestines, and the production of insulin. In addition to stimulating insulin production by the beta cells located in the islets of Langerhans in your pancreas, GLP-1 makes insulin, aids in the growth of new beta cells and prolongs the life of worn out cells.

      After eating, as part of the metabolic process of digestion, glucose enters the beta cells. GLP-1 production is increased and, upon reaching the beta cells, stimulates the chemical reaction that leads to the secretion of insulin. Insulin is the hormone that facilitates the removal of excess glucose from your bloodstream. In diabetics, the insulin response is faulty, causing beta cells to work harder to produce enough of this hormone. Eventually, the overworked cells become worn out and cease to function. By mimicking the effect of GLP-1, Exenatide has a positive effect on the survival and function of beta cells.

    Exenatide

    • If you suffer from type 2 diabetes, your doctor already may be prescribing the drug Exenatide, available in the United States as Byetta. Dr. Drucker's research compared the effects of Exenatide on two groups of patients. One group used the drug twice daily, and the second group had the drug administered once weekly with adjustments made to the dosage. The results showed the once-weekly group demonstrated better control over blood sugar with no indications of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), a common occurrence when taking diabetic medications. As an added bonus with the once-weekly use of Exenatide, weight loss was achieved. This is significant for diabetics, because weight loss is difficult for patients taking insulin and other diabetic drugs, as cited by Sam Engel, M.D., professor of medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the article "Beyond Insulin."

    Note

    • Reuters reported a new drug application submitted on May 5, 2009, by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of once-weekly Exenatide. Upon approval, the once-weekly administration of this drug offers hope for improving your current status and future prognosis as a sufferer of type 2 diabetes.

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