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Byetta® is a drug used by millions of people throughout the U.S. and the world. Although Byetta® can be considered a medical device (i.e., a pen-like device for injections), it is in essence a drug — exenatide. Approved by the FDA in 2005 for adults with type 2 diabetes, exenatide is a synthetic version of a hormone found in the saliva of the Gila monster, the only venomous lizard native to the U.S. Some Byetta® users jokingly refer to this drug as "lizard spit."

An Injected Drug to Control Glucose Levels

The purpose of the drug exenatide is to control the user's glucose (blood sugar) levels. It does so in a number of ways:

• enhancing glucose-dependent insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta cells
• suppressing elevated glucagon secretion
• slowing gastric emptying

Byetta® is quite effective at controlling blood sugar, but it is not without risks.

Byetta® vs. Januvia

The drug exenatide is in a pre-filled pen device for injection, and it's pretty simple to use the Byetta® pens. The drug is administered as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection twice a day, usually in the abdomen. The skin of the thigh or arm can also be used for injection. Many people who have switched to Byetta® from oral diabetes drugs such as Januvia have found that the injections are not as troubling as they had feared.

However, Januvia (made by Merck) is an oral pill taken just once a day, and it has fewer side effects than Byetta®. Januvia also doesn't produce nausea, as is so common with Byetta® treatment.

Byetta® Sales

Many millions of dollars' worth of Byetta® pens are sold in the U.S. each year. For example, the domestic sales of Byetta® were over $162 million In the last three months of 2008 alone. About 50,000 prescriptions for Byetta® are filled each week (nearly twice as many Januvia prescriptions are filled in the same period).

The sales of Byetta® fell when the FDA revealed that six patients taking Byetta® had died from acute pancreatitis. Byetta® has a number of severe potential side effects, and several Byetta® lawsuits have been initiated to recover compensation for the individuals who have been harmed by this drug product.

Get More Byetta®/Exenatide Information

Reports of Byetta® side effects and deaths continue to be collected by the FDA. If you have suffered a serious adverse event while using Byetta®, contact a Byetta® attorney for a free consultation.

"Byetta® May Be Linked to Pancreatitis and Cancer"

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have found that the use of the diabetes medications Byetta® and Januvia® may increase the risk of serious problems with the pancreas. Januvia® and Byetta® are both used to treat t...

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