Byetta® Weight Loss
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Produced by Eli Lily and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Byetta® is an injectable medication that can improve control of blood sugar levels in those with type-2 diabetes. Shortly after its FDA approval in April 2005, a study conducted by the Ochsner Clinic Foundation (OCF) in La. found that, in addition to its ability to treat type-2 diabetes, Byetta® was also effective in helping patients lose weight.
This finding differentiates Byetta® from other type-2 diabetes drugs, which tend to cause weight gain. Byetta® is not indicated for treatment of type-1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes.
Details of the Byetta® Weight Loss Study
Led by Lawrence Blonde MD, the OCF's Byetta® weight loss study included a little over 800 participants who were, on average, 56 years old and whose median weight was about 218 pounds (lbs).
Study participants were divided into three groups:
• a group taking placebos
• another group taking 5-ųg Byetta® injections
• a final group taking 10-ųg Byetta® injections
After 7 ½ months of this regimen, all patients were given Byetta® doses for the following year. The Byetta® drug weight loss results were as follows:
• The placebo group lost about 8 lbs.
• Both the 5-ųg and 10-ųg Byetta® groups lost a little over 10 lbs.
In patients with higher body mass indexes (BMIs), weight loss was even more dramatic and averaged between 23 lbs and 26 lbs after nearly 2 years on a Byetta® weight loss drug regimen. Although the precise reasons that Byetta® causes weight loss are currently unknown, researchers speculate that, because Byetta® delays the process of digestion, patients taking this drug tend to feel "full" faster and longer after eating.
Side Effects of the Byetta® Weight Loss Injection
Despite the fact that Byetta® can be an effective weight loss drug for obese type-2 diabetes patients, this medication may put patients at risk of developing pancreatitis. The different types of pancreatitis include:
• Acute pancreatitis, an immediate swelling of the pancreas marked by severe back pain, nausea and fever
• Hemorrhagic pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas coupled with internal bleeding
• Necrotizing pancreatitis, swelling that causes death of the pancreatic tissues.
If You Believe You Have Been Injured by Byetta®
Contact a defective drug lawyer to learn more about your potential claim.
