Lizard Spit Drug Controls Diabetes, Cuts Weight

Reuters ^ | 08/25/03

[nypokerface]

PARIS (Reuters) - Exenatide, an experimental diabetes drug derived from lizard saliva, not only controls patients' blood sugar levels but also cuts their weight, its developers said on Monday.

Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc and Eli Lilly and Co released new study findings on the efficacy of exenatide at the 18th Congress of the International Diabetes Federation in Paris.

The drug, derived from the saliva of a lizard known as the Gila monster, is the first in a new class of therapies for type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes and is on track to be submitted for approval by regulators in 2004. Analysts forecast annual sales could top $500 million after three years.

The Gila monster lizard lives in the Arizona desert, only eating about four times a year. Its salivary secretions help prevent a sudden surge in blood sugar levels in response to these infrequent but large meals.

The latest exenatide test involved 155 patients who had failed to reach target glucose levels on established diabetes drugs metformin and sulfonylurea, or a combination of the two.

When researchers added injections of exenatide, 44 percent of patients who completed 24 weeks of treatment achieved glucose level averages within the target range, the companies said.

Patients also lost on average 7.5 pounds.

Amylin CEO, Dan Bradbury, told Reuters that being able to control the blood sugar levels of so many patients who had previously failed therapy was a "pretty exciting result."

The most frequently reported side effect in the study was mild to moderate nausea, which decreased with continued treatment.

[Jaxter]

"Actually, I think you're required to french-kiss the lizard..."

I think you mean freedom-kiss.

Anyway, I think Dave Barry would agree that Lizard Spit would be a great name for a rock band.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

[orchid]

The article said salive. You'll have to French (sorry) kiss a gila monster. No biting though.

[vin-one]

just put the lizard in a pickup truck and hand them a styrofoam cup.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Present the lizard with a picture of Hillary Clinton.

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

So Ozzie was on to something? Or was it a bat's head?

[Alex Murphy]

Present the lizard with a picture of Hillary Clinton.

We're trying to produce lizard spit, not lizard vomit.

[Paul_B]

Lizard spit. Sounds like an ingredient to a witch's brew. Modern medicine has some amazing roots, eh?

[Alex Murphy]

Ozzy's always been on something...oh wait, you asked if Ozzy was on to something. Never mind.

[Protagoras]

How do they get the spit out of the lizards?

They get ten year old boys to goad them into a spitting contest.

[boris]

I have diabetes. I forwarded this piece to my doctor with the title "Uh oh."

--Boris

[Grammy]

"Lizard Lick, NC"


Relatives went on to found Toad Suck, Arkansas

[dmcnash]

Seriously, how do researchers come up with this stuff? ... use my government grant money to pay for research into what it does to me?"

You are almost there! There is some research dude that has a passion for Gila Monsters. There is a pile of grant money at NIH or the Diabeties Foundation for research into diabeties. The research dude just combines the two in his grant application and voila, a funded research project.

I would bet you could find research on Gila Monster saliva and AIDS and heart disease too, by the same dude.

[Constitution Day]

Relatives went on to found Toad Suck, Arkansas

There's a Bill Clinton joke in there, but I'm going to pass. ;^)

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[skinkinthegrass]

I could just hang one off an earlobe, wouldn't be any stranger than what some of the kids are wearing nowadays.

...and who said lizards can't help mankind...they DO have a nasty bite...terrible painful wound, however. :/

[YankeeinOkieville]

8 or 10 years ago researchers at Clarkson University were working on a remedy for airsickness based on a chemical which they isolated from cockroach eyebells. Now my question is what are these researchers smoking to come up with the brainstorms to try this stuff....And where can I get some!?!?

[Grammy]

eyebells?
lol

[JonathansMommie]

Ping Ping Ping a Ding

[LurkedLongEnough]

(Present the lizard with a picture of Hillary Clinton. )
"We're trying to produce lizard spit, not lizard vomit."

LOL!!!!