National Public Radio (NPR) is running a transcript of its latest report on diabetes treatment options. It's top picks: inhalable insulin (of course, given all the hype!), and also a drug derived from lizard saliva. Hang on. Let's backtrack. Lizard saliva? Turns out, they're talking about the popular diabetes drug Byetta. Yes, the drug that's contained in Byetta is known as exanitide. Byetta has been in the news a great deal in the past because of its unintended, but usually much-welcomed side-effect: weight loss. Exanitide, which mimics a naturally-occurring hormone by stimulating insulin release, is taken from the saliva of the Gila monster (pictured), a large lizard found in the southwest of the US and the northern region of Mexico. It is a venomous little critter, although it's bites are rarely fatal to humans. (Although that's what Steve Irwin thought about sting rays...) Don't ask me how they get the saliva from the Gila monster. I'm afraid I don't want to know...Still, the NPR report also emphasizes the importance of good old-fashioned exercise and other positive lifestyle changes in managing diabetes. There is also a handy summary chart at the end of the feature explaining who can and cannot use inhalable insulin. If you're confused about this issue, check it out!
