GLP-1 Drugs Transform Weight Loss and Diabetes Treatment, With One in Eight Adults Now Using Them John Eng, a Bronx endocrinologist working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, spent years searching for a hormone that could stabilize blood sugar without causing dramatic fluctuations. His breakthrough came from an unexpected source: the venom of the Gila monster, a desert lizard that feeds infrequently. In 1992, Eng isolated a peptide from dried venom samples he ordered from a Utah supplier. This peptide, later named exendin-4, behaved like the human gut hormone GLP-1 but was far more stable. The VA, which had funded his research, declined to patent the discovery, so Eng filed for the patent himself and licensed the compound to a small biotech firm. The resulting drug, exenatide, was marketed as Byetta in 2005 and became the foundation for a class of medications now used by more than one in eight American adults for weight loss, diabetes, or both. The journey from a lizard’s venom to a global pharmaceutical success story involved multiple key players. Amylin Pharmaceuticals licensed the compound for commercial use, but the science behind it originated from federally funded VA research that the government had initially dismissed as lacking commercial value. Eng’s decision to patent the discovery independently ensured its eventual commercialization, despite the VA’s reluctance. Byetta, the first GLP-1 drug, required twice-daily injections and offered modest weight loss as a side effect. However, its potential sparked interest in longer-acting analogs. Novo Nordisk, a Danish company with decades of experience in insulin production, developed liraglutide, which became Victoza for diabetes in 2010 and Saxenda for weight loss in 2014.#novo_nordisk #john_eng #gila_monster #va_medical_center #amylin_pharmaceuticals
