A simple weekly jab can now end the torment of millions of diabetics, who at present take injections two times a day, researchers say.

The landmark 18 pounds-a-week treatment is now available on the NHS.

The drug, called exenatide, can be given to people with Type 2 diabetes who cannot get their condition under control with currently available pills, the Daily Express reported.

It is a slow-release version of the earlier available version of exenatide, called Byetta, and mimics a hormone found in a lizard from Mexico.

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At present, people whose blood glucose levels are not brought under control with tablets face having 14 injections a week - two a day - to regulate it. But exenatide, which can be given just once a week, has been found to be just as effective.

Exenatide is the first in a new class of medicines known as incretin mimetics, which trigger the pancreas to produce more insulin in response to raised blood sugar and also influence digestion and appetite.

Source: ANI
Image: Flickr/creativecommons sarahG