New diabetes treatment available in the UAE

Byetta (Exenatide), the first of a new class of medicine that mimics a blood sugar-regulating hormone in the body, has been available in the U.S. since 2005 and is now offered in more than 23 countries and used by more than 700,000 diabetes patients worldwide.

Byetta, which is co-developed by Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, has been a major success in the countries where it has been released because of the treatment's effectiveness in regulating blood sugars and its convenience of use compared to insulin.

There is one other added benefit as well, which has led to a cult following for Byetta with hundreds of chat forums and blogs related to the drug.

A significant effect of Exenatide is weight loss, which is a major benefit for Type 2 diabetes patients, who are often overweight. The combination of blood sugar regulation and weight loss give Byetta a one-two punch in the battle against the diabetes epidemic affecting the region.

'Our aim is to make available the best in class treatments for patients in the UAE,' says Dr. Issa El Mansoori, Director of the Drug Control Department in the Ministry of Health.

'We give a high importance to all that relates to the diabetes field, as we know that diabetes is one of the major diseases threatening our community.'

'Byetta is a new class of treatment for diabetes that will help answer some of the unmet patients' needs. We are one of the first countries in the Middle East to make Byetta available.' explains Dr. El Mansoori
Byetta is the first in a new class of treatment called incretin mimetics which are compounds that provide the same benefits and have the same actions as the natural incretin hormone in the body.

Incretin is normally released by the gut into the bloodstream in response to food intake and has a direct effect on regulating blood sugar (glucose) levels in the body (increasing insulin secretion) - Studies have shown that the effect of the incretin hormone is lessened or completely eliminated in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Exenatide (Byetta) helps with glucose (blood sugar) management in several ways:
It signals the pancreas to create additional insulin when glucose levels are too high, it regulates the liver so that it doesn't produce unneeded glucose; and It helps slow the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream. Exenatide (Byetta) is indicated for Type 2 diabetes patients who failed on oral medications and is administered as an injection.