Amylin (Pramlintide)
In Diabetes
Amylin, a hormone secreted with insulin from pancreatic beta-cells, regulates gastric emptying, postprandial glucagon secretion, and food intake, and it has been shown to improve glycemic control in insulin-using patients with diabetes. Like insulin, amylin is absent in patients with type 1 diabetes. Pramlintide is a synthetic amylin analog indicated as an adjunctive treatment to insulin in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. In earlier studies, pramlintide acutely reduced postprandial glucose fluctuations and enhanced satiety. Long-term, adjunctive pramlintide therapy in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes decreased HbA1c with associated reductions in body weight and insulin use. Patient satisfaction is good, one of the things that patients like the best is weight loss. It has to be administered by injection usually at meal times.

Pramlintide is available in USA, it is not marketed in Canada and it is unlikely that it will be introduced to the Canadian market soon. The problem is that it is an expensive drug, administered by injection in Type 1 Diabetics only and the market would just not be big enough.