The Road Ahead
Byetta offers a much brighter future for diabetics and has already proven to be a blockbuster drug. It’s just the first of many drugs that fall in the incretin mimetic category. A variant of Byetta called ExenatideLAR (long-acting release) is being developed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, offering the same benefits in a form that only requires once-weekly injections.30 Considering that Byetta offers a means to optimize the insulin response, control eating and promote weight loss, there’s no question that it will be actively pursued by both the obese and those with a bodybuilding intent. At this time, weight loss isn’t an approved indication for the use of Byetta, so it’s unlikely any physician will prescribe it for such a purpose. However, considering that insulin sensitivity is affected by some of the practices of drug-using athletes, such as the use of growth hormone, it’s possible Byetta may be prescribed in such cases.32

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