New Diabetes Drug Works Well in Trial

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Exenatide is actually the form of GLP-1 found in the saliva of the gila monster, explained Dr. John Buse, president for medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association and a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina. A new formulation of exenatide allowing once-a-week injection has successfully been tested, Buse added.

"There has been a lot of enthusiasm about exenatide based on reports of weight loss," Buse said.

In a head-to-head test, liraglutide was more effective in controlling diabetes, Garber said. The newly reported study, he said, "shows that in patients already taking doses of existing oral medications, they did better when they switched to liraglutide."

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Weight loss was also seen in the trial, which ran for one year. Participants taking liraglutide lost an average of 4.4 pounds, while those taking glimepiride gained an average of 2.2 pounds.

"We want more medications that have this type of profile," Garber said. "It is very well-tolerated, has few side effects and can lead to weight loss. Most diabetes medications now produce weight gain, and that is very discouraging to our patients."

One shadow is a possible risk of pancreatitis, a condition which was reported in two people in the liraglutide trial and whose symptoms include nausea, vomiting and belly pain.

But Garber maintained that "there is unlikely to be a major pancreatitis concern, because it is so rare."

A contest may develop between liraglutide and a once-a-week formulation of exenatide, Buse said. The longer-lasting exenatide version is expected to reach the U.S. market in about a year. It requires a standard hypodermic needle for injection, while liraglutide can be given through a small, ultrafine needle.

Several other GLP-1 drugs are in trials now and might be approved before long, Buse said. "It will be a great opportunity for patients to have so many choices," he added.

More information

Today's oral medications for diabetes are described by the American Diabetes Association.

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