Lilly’s Byetta approved for use with basal insulin

Lilly has received European regulatory approval for the use of Byetta as an adjunctive therapy to basal insulin for type 2 diabetes patients.

The drug, which is co-developed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, has been ratified for use with or without metformin and/or Actos among patients who have not achieved adequate glycaemic control levels with these agents.

Approval was granted based on clinical trial data showing that Byetta plus titrated basal insulin was able to offer better glycaemic control without an increased risk of weight gain or hypoglycaemia.

Byetta has been approved in the US since 2005 and in Europe since 2006, with more than 1.8 million patients having received the drug to date.

Dr Christian Weyer, senior vice-president for research and development at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, said: "The marketing authorisation for the use of Byetta with basal insulin provides a new option for the many patients with type 2 diabetes who are not achieving treatment goals."

Earlier this month, Lilly announced the launch of Innovation Starts Here, a programme of initiatives that will see the company supporting the development of new medical therapies worldwide.