Byetta is a drug administered via injection twice daily—within an hour prior to breakfast and dinner. Byetta (exenatide) is intended to treat Type 2 diabetes, mimicking the effects of incretins which are hormones produced and released by the intestines when a person eats a meal. The human-glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) increases insulin secretions from the pancreas, slows the absorption of glucose in the stomach and effectively slows the speed of the glucagon. Exenatide is a synthesized version of a substance found in the saliva of the Southwestern Gila monster and is 50% identical to a hormone found naturally in the human body. GLP-1 has been found to reduce the appetite by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach—although patients are cautioned against using Byetta as a treatment for obesity.