Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company announced that a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) has been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the expanded use of Byetta (exenatide) injection as an add-on therapy to basal insulin, with or without metformin and/or a thiazolidinedione (TZD) in conjunction with diet and exercise for adults with type 2 diabetes who are not achieving adequate glycemic control.

Byetta, the first marketed GLP-1 receptor agonist, was approved in the US in April 2005 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes as add-on therapy to diet and exercise for adult patients not achieving adequate glycemic control using commonly prescribed oral diabetes medications. In October 2009, Byetta was approved as monotherapy along with diet and exercise. Byetta is available in more than 60 countries worldwide.

"Many patients using basal insulin with or without oral diabetes medications are unable to maintain adequate blood sugar control, particularly at mealtime," said Orville G. Kolterman, M.D., senior vice president, chief medical officer, Amylin Pharmaceuticals. "If approved for this expanded use, Byetta may provide a complementary addition to basal insulin to improve overall blood sugar control with no weight gain and no increased risk of hypoglycaemia. The combination may also offer a mealtime treatment option that is taken only twice a day and does not require dosing titration."

The sNDA is based on a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating Byetta added to Lantus (insulin glargine). The study showed many hard-to-treat patients with type 2 diabetes who were poorly controlled on basal insulin therapy with or without metformin and/or a TZD achieved A1C control without weight gain or increasing their risk of hypoglycaemia. A total of 261 patients receiving insulin glargine, with or without oral agents, were randomized to receive Byetta or placebo in addition to aggressive insulin titration. After 30 weeks of treatment, A1C on average decreased by 1.7 percentage points in patients adding Byetta, compared with a decrease of 1.0 percentage point in patients treated with insulin alone. Both treatment groups showed lower fasting plasma glucose concentrations; however, after morning and evening meals, when Byetta was administered, postprandial glucose control was significantly improved with Byetta compared to placebo. On average, weight decreased by 4 pounds in patients adding Byetta, compared with an increase of 2 pounds in patients treated with insulin alone. The greater improvement in A1C with Byetta was not accompanied by an increase in hypoglycaemia, compared to placebo.

Nausea was the most common adverse event during the 30-week treatment period and decreased over time. Nausea occurred in 41 per cent of patients treated with Byetta compared with 8 per cent of patients treated with insulin alone. Hypoglycaemia was similar for both groups; major hypoglycaemia occurred twice in one patient receiving insulin alone.

Byetta was the first FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Byetta exhibits many of the same effects as the human incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 improves blood sugar after food intake through multiple effects that work in concert on the stomach, liver, pancreas and brain.

Byetta is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, when used with a diet and exercise program. Byetta is not insulin and should not be taken instead of insulin. Byetta is not currently recommended to be taken with insulin. Byetta is not for people with type 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis. Byetta  has not been studied in people who have pancreatitis.

Byetta provides sustained A1C control and low incidence of hypoglycaemia when used alone or in combination with metformin or a TZD, with potential weight loss (Byetta is not a weight-loss product). Byetta was approved in April 2005 and has been used by more than 1.3 million patients since its introduction. See important safety information below.


Amylin Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving lives of patients through the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines. Amylin has developed and gained approval for two first-in-class medicines for diabetes, Symlin (pramlintide acetate) injection and Byetta (exenatide) injection.

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.