Long-acting preparations of exenatide

Abstract

Exenatide has been widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, its short plasma half-life of 2.4 hours has limited its clinical application. The exenatide products on the market, twice-daily Byetta™ and once-weekly Bydureon™ (both Amylin Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA, USA), are still not perfect. Many researchers have attempted to prolong the acting time of exenatide by preparing sustained-release dosage forms, modifying its structure, gene therapies, and other means. This review summarizes recent advances in long-acting exenatide preparations. © 2013 Cai et al.