Byetta approved as first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes

INDIANAPOLIS The Food and Drug Administration has approved a diabetes drug as a first-line treatment for the disease.

Eli Lilly & Co. and Amylin Pharmaceuticals announced the approval of the injectable Byetta (exenatide) as a first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes. It was previously approved only for patients who also were taking other diabetes medications.

“The expanded indication gives physicians the option to prescribe Byetta as a first-line treatment, increasing the number of patients who may benefit from the medication and providing an opportunity to treat patients with Byetta earlier in the disease,” Amylin SVP research and development Orville Kolterman said in a statement. “Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease, so it is essential that healthcare professionals and their patients have a wide array of treatments that can effectively control blood glucose levels.”