Byetta may cut cardiovascular risk for diabetes patients

CHICAGO — A Type 2 diabetes drug marketed by Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease compared with other diabetes treatments, the two companies said Wednesday.

According to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions in Chicago, use of Byetta (exenatide) was associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than insulin and several other drug classes.

The study used data from IMS Health’s LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database, comprising medical and pharmaceutical claims for more than 65 million patients from 98 health plans in the United States.

“Heart disease and stroke account for nearly two-thirds of deaths in people with Type 2 diabetes, so it is critically important for us to understand how treatment may affect cardiovascular risk, either positively or negatively,” Amylin SVP and chief medical officer Orville Kolterman said.