Once-Weekly Diabetes Drug Submitted for FDA Approval

The once-weekly injectable diabetes drug exenatide LAR has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval, Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday.

The drug is an extended version of the twice-daily injectable drug Byetta, the Associated Press reported.

Another new diabetes drug, Novo Nordisk's once-daily injection liraglutide, is currently under FDA review.

Both exenatide LAR and liraglutide are in a class of treatments called GLP-1 analogues, which help increase insulin production.

Last year, the FDA issued new safety guidelines for diabetes treatments after concerns were raised about heightened heart attack risk associated with GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia, the AP reported.