Frenquently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about BYETTA by choosing a topic below:

The Basics

With the news about Avandia^® (rosiglitazone), should I still use BYETTA with it?

What is the indication for BYETTA?

How is BYETTA metabolized and eliminated?

What are the benefits of starting BYETTA?

What was the total number of patients treated with BYETTA in the clinical trials that led to the drug being approved by the FDA?

Is BYETTA covered by insurance?

Does the new Medicare drug benefit program (known as "Part D") cover BYETTA?

Is there a patient assistance program for patients with no insurance?

With the news about Avandia^® (rosiglitazone), should I still use BYETTA with it?

The prescribing information for BYETTA has not changed. BYETTA is approved for use in combination with a thiazolidinedione (TZD) such as Avandia or Actos^® (pioglitazone), as well as metformin and/or a sulfonylurea. Safety information regarding the use of BYETTA with a TZD is reported in the BYETTA prescribing information as well as in the Annals of Internal Medicine article reporting the results of the BYETTA + TZD clinical trial.¹

BYETTA and Avandia are very different medicines, in two different classes with completely different mechanisms of action. Avandia is an oral prescription medicine in the TZD class and is used to treat type 2 diabetes. BYETTA is an injectable medication approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in patients not adequately controlled on commonly used oral medications and is the first in a class of medicines known as incretin mimetics. BYETTA works in several ways to lower blood glucose and allows most people to lose weight.

If you have limited experience prescribing BYETTA for your patients with type 2 diabetes, learn just how easy it is to get patients started on BYETTA therapy.
Back to top

What is the indication for BYETTA?

BYETTA is indicated as adjunctive therapy to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are taking metformin, a sulfonylurea, a thiazolidinedione, a combination of metformin and a sulfonylurea, or a combination of metformin and a thiazolidinedione, but have not achieved adequate glycemic control.
Back to top

How is BYETTA metabolized and eliminated?

BYETTA is primarily cleared by the kidneys.
Back to top

What are the benefits of starting BYETTA?

BYETTA is the first in a class of drugs called incretin mimetics, and offers patients self-regulating glycemic control. BYETTA helps control fasting and postprandial glucose, and in clinical trials most patients lost weight. BYETTA comes in a prefilled pen with fixed BID dosing for all patients. No additional glucose monitoring is required to determine the dose and no additional dose planning around meal size or amount of exercise is needed.

BYETTA restores first-phase insulin secretion and enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion. BYETTA also suppresses inappropriately elevated glucagon levels, reduces food intake, and slows gastric emptying. All of these mechanisms have been shown to be important to glucose regulation.
Back to top

What was the total number of patients treated with BYETTA in the clinical trials that led to the drug being approved by the FDA?

A total of 1494 patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with BYETTA in those trials reviewed by the FDA.
Back to top

Is BYETTA covered by insurance?

Coverage for BYETTA varies by insurance plan. You can download formulary access information for insurance providers covering BYETTA in your state. The BYETTA Reimbursement Hotline is also available to assist healthcare professionals in verifying insurance coverage for BYETTA or in researching alternative sources of coverage. The hotline is available by calling toll-free 1-800-330-7647 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm, Eastern Time.
Back to top

Does the new Medicare drug benefit program (known as "Part D") cover BYETTA?

Coverage for BYETTA varies by insurance plan. The BYETTA Reimbursement Hotline can provide a list of plans in a specific area that cover BYETTA. The hotline is available by calling toll-free 1-800-330-7647 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm, Eastern Time.
Back to top

Is there a patient assistance program for patients with no insurance?

The Amylin Patient Assistance Program is available for patients prescribed BYETTA who do not have adequate insurance and/or do not have any other financial assistance and meet the eligibility criteria. In order to be considered for the Patient Assistance Program, patients will need to complete an application form and provide information on financial status. The Patient Assistance Program is available by calling toll free 1-800-330-7647 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm, Eastern Time.
Back to top

BYETTA is a registered trademark of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
All other brand names are the property of their respective owners.

Indication

Important Safety Information

Precautions:

BYETTA is not a substitute for insulin in insulin-requiring patients. BYETTA should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Patients should be observed for signs and symptoms of acute pancreatitis (persistent severe abdominal pain which may be accompanied by vomiting). If pancreatitis is suspected, BYETTA and other potentially suspect drugs should be discontinued. Resuming treatment with BYETTA is not recommended if pancreatitis is confirmed and an alternative etiology for the pancreatitis has not been identified.
Patients should be observed for signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions.
BYETTA is not recommended for use in patients with end-stage renal disease, severe renal impairment, or severe gastrointestinal disease.
Patients should be observed for signs of altered renal function, including those who are taking concomitant agents known to affect renal function/hydration status, such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors and NSAIDs, or those experiencing significant vomiting and/or diarrhea, which may lead to dehydration.
Patients receiving BYETTA with a sulfonylurea have an increased risk of hypoglycemia. To reduce the risk of hypoglycemia, clinicians may consider reducing the sulfonylurea dose.

Drug Interactions:

The effect of BYETTA to slow gastric emptying may reduce the extent and rate of absorption of orally administered drugs, so it should be used with caution in patients receiving oral medications that require rapid gastrointestinal absorption.
Medications that are dependent on threshold concentrations for efficacy, such as contraceptives and antibiotics, should be taken at least 1 hour before BYETTA injection. If such drugs are to be administered with food, they should be taken with a meal or snack when BYETTA is not administered.

Adverse Reactions:

The most common adverse events associated with BYETTA were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, feeling jittery, dizziness, headache, and dyspepsia.

For complete safety profile and other important prescribing considerations, see the Prescribing Information.

Reference

Zinman B, Hoogwerf BJ, Duran Garcia S, et al. The effect of adding exenatide to a thiazolidinedione in suboptimally controlled type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:477-85.

Frenquently Asked Questions

The Basics

With the news about Avandia® (rosiglitazone), should I still use BYETTA with it?

What is the indication for BYETTA?

How is BYETTA metabolized and eliminated?

What are the benefits of starting BYETTA?

What was the total number of patients treated with BYETTA in the clinical trials that led to the drug being approved by the FDA?

Is BYETTA covered by insurance?

Does the new Medicare drug benefit program (known as "Part D") cover BYETTA?

Is there a patient assistance program for patients with no insurance?

Indication

Important Safety Information

With the news about Avandia^® (rosiglitazone), should I still use BYETTA with it?