The evidence for achieving glycemic control with incretin mimetics.

In this article, the efficacy and limitations of pharmacologic therapies for type 2 diabetes are briefly reviewed. In addition to the 6 classes of agents that were available for use in patients with type 2 diabetes prior to 2005, the new therapeutic class of incretin mimetics is also covered. Incretin mimetic therapies in development, as well as pivotal studies that led to the approval of exenatide (BYETTA; Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc, San Diego, Calif), the first incretin mimetic to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), are described. Finally, the clinical use of exenatide and important educational issues are addressed, and an educational exenatide case study is presented.