Eli Lilly gives green light for diabetes drug

Eli Lilly is to start delivering one of its diabetes drugs again after having lifted restrictions previously imposed on it.

The company along with its partner Amylin Pharmaceuticals asked doctors to reduce prescriptions of Byetta following a cartridge shortage. Free samples and discounted vouchers were stopped following internal data which showed that their cartridge supplier had not been able to keep up with demand.

Baxter and Wockhart have since agreed to produce the cartridges and hope to satisfy demand for the items, with around 70 per cent of US pharmacies expecting to hold sufficient stock. Jamaison Schuler, a spokesperson for Lily said other pharmacies would be given the stock within 48 hours.

Byetta has received around one million prescriptions since it was approved bu the FDA in April 2005. Sign on San Diego reports that the drug was originally derived from the Gilla lizard. It is used for the treatment of type II diabetes and is administered in conjunction with Glucophage and Amryl pills.

It belongs in a class of drugs called incretin mimetics by improving blood sugar control in adults ad works by regulating and controlling the production of insulin in the body.

Available as an injection, the drug exhibits similar effects as the human incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, which has several effects on the stomach, liver, pancreas and brain.

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