Exenatide: Control Glucose and Possibly Lose Weight

How Does Exenatide Work?

Exenatide helps your body control postmeal glucose excursions or spikes by mimicking the actions of the natural incretin hormones. Participants using exenatide in clinical studies reported significantly lower A1C numbers (-0.8 percent to -1.1 percent) and weight loss (about 6-8 pounds in trials). Some researchers suggest that extended treatment may improve some heart disease risk factors, such as diastolic blood pressure (the lower number), triglycerides, and LDL (bad) cholesterol, but those studies aren't conclusive.

Exenatide is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use by people with type 2 diabetes who haven't achieved their glucose or A1C goals by taking either metformin or a sulfonylurea (glyburide or glipizide) or a combination of the two.

Exenatide will be available soon as a once-weekly injection (Byetta LAR), and other incretin mimetics are under development.

Exenatide is not approved for people with type 1 diabetes. You should also avoid exenatide if you have kidney disease, ketoacidosis, or severe gastrointestinal disease and if you're pregnant or nursing (unless your doctor decides that the benefit clearly outweighs the risk).