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(KSL News) -- A new drug for type-two diabetes has an interesting side effect: weight loss.
That's great news for diabetics, and now some are wondering if it might help people who don't have diabetes lose weight too.
The drug is called Byetta. It's based on a hormone found in the saliva of the gila monster, a menacing lizard.
Byetta helps the body make insulin and it's used with other medications to control blood sugar.
Dr. Michelle Magee, Medstar Diabetes Instittue: "It actually promotoes that feeling of fullness after you've eaten. And so it regulates how much you are eating, which is one of the problems underlying type two diabetes."
The weight loss triggered by the drug is a bonus for diabetes because losing weight can help reduce the risk of the complications that go along with having type two diabetes.
Now some doctors are wondering if Byetta might help with another health problem, obesity. More research needs to be done on non-diabetics before the drug can be prescribed for weight loss.
