Amino acid sequence of amylin with disulphide bridge and cleavage sites of insulin degrading enzyme indicated with arrows
Amylin, or Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP), is a hormone produced by the Beta cells of the pancreas. Pramlintide (brand name: Symlin) is synthetic amylin which has been recently approved for adult use for treatment of both types of diabetes, type 1 as well as type 2. Amylin is administered with insulin though injected separately before meals leads to long term and better control of blood sugar. The manufacturers of Symlin, the synthetic form of Amylin, claim that "clinical studies demonstrate that symlin, a self-administered injection given prior to meals, helps patients achieve lower blood glucose (sugar) after meals, leading to less fluctuation during the day, and better long-term glucose control (A1C) compared to patients taking insulin alone. On average, patients in these studies used less mealtime insulin and also had a reduction in body weight compared to patients taking insulin alone. SYMLIN was studied in over 5300 individuals in the clinical program that led to approval."[1]