| Sitagliptin, saxagliptin and linagliptin work by inhibiting the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV, which is responsible for the degradation of the endogenous hormone incretin. |
| Some drugs in these classes already have been approved, most notably the incretin mimetic exenatide, an inhaled insulin, and the amylin analogue pramlintide. |
| An incretin mimetic works to mimic the anti-diabetic or glucose-lowering actions of naturally occurring human hormones called incretins. |
| Exenatide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that is commonly used in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus for its effects on the incretin system. |
| Glucagon-like peptide-1 is an important incretin hormone that helps reduce blood glucose levels but, in people with type 2 diabetes, its production is often reduced or absent. |
