The Lizard Spit Diabetes Treatment

Tucked deep within the deserts of North America lies a potent natural medicine for diabetes. Scientists have found that an indigenous animal, the poisonous lizard called Gila Monster, has saliva capable of increasing insulin production in the human body. Pharmaceutical companies have synthesized this compound, and we are now realizing the positive and negative effects of "the lizard spit diabetes treatment."

• Nature provides powerful medicines.

History of the Drug

• Major drug companies and the U.S. government have expanded their research of potential cures and treatments into remote areas of the world, such as deserts and rainforests. Ethnobotanists look at the wisdom of local people and cultures to discover compounds that may be synthesized into mass production drugs. What they found in the Gila Monster saliva is a hormone that is similar to the hormone found in human stomach that stimulates the pancreas to create insulin. The remarkable part is that the "lizard spit" is stronger and longer lasting. Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly & Co. created the synthesized drug, known chemically as exenatide, named it Byetta, and in 2005 the Food and Drug Administration approved its use as a medication for type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

• Type 2 diabetes is also known as adult-onset diabetes. It is connected with obesity and poor diet. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2009 there were 23.6 million people in the United States, or 8 percent of the population, living with this disease. Diabetes is the body's inability to turn glucose (blood sugar) into energy because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or can't respond to it correctly. Therefore, the blood sugar is not broken down and remains in the blood stream, potentially causing a number of health problems.

Effects

• In addition to exenatide being able to help regulate blood sugar levels, it has also been shown to improve the function of the beta cells that release insulin. One of the greatest breakthroughs for the drug developers is that research has shown it also helps patients lose weight. Professor Richard Donnelly, of Nottingham University's Faculty of Medicine, said, "The main disadvantage with insulin is that it causes weight gain. Most people with type two [diabetes] are already overweight to start with, and so insulin is counter-productive in that it makes the condition worse; diabetes is a progressive disease, so as the person puts on weight, it places a greater strain on the pancreas and speeds the reliance on insulin injections. This drug helps to control weight and so slows the need for insulin."

Dangers

• A dangerous link between Byetta and pancreatitis may exist. Although there has not been a confirmed case of a death directly caused by Byetta, in August of 2008, the FDA issued an advisory warning that Byetta treatment should be halted immediately if pancreatitis is suspected. Symptoms of pancreatitis are: severe pain in the upper stomach spreading to the back with nausea, vomiting and a fast heart rate. Stop taking Byetta and call your doctor immediately if you suspect you are having adverse health effects from the drug.

Treatment

• Byetta, which comes in a pre-filled pen, is an injection that should be given within one hour before eating a meal. Byetta doses are usually taken twice a day, before the morning and evening meals.