Gila Monster Spit may Help Diabetes

Even though the Gila monster looks horrible and is typically less than friendly, its spit has medical use.

A new drug derived from Gila monster saliva appears to help people with type 2 diabetes and may be a welcome alternative when other commonly used drugs have failed to work.

The new drug, called exenatide, (byetta) does not appear to cause weight gain like many of the other commonly used drugs.

It is sometimes called the "non-insulin" insulin as it is an injection.

Exenatide also appears to help preserve insulin-producing cells in the pancreas according to researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Clinic in Boston.

Even though it is available we do not want to hear about any missing Gila monster pets.