In the southwestern United States lives a unique animal called the Gila monster. What is so unique about this lizard-like creature is the fact that it only eats three times a year. Why does it only get hungry every four months? Scientists, in the never-ending search for new medications, began to study the Gila monster. What they have come up with is truly remarkable.

The saliva of the animal contains a chemical that is enhancing the lives of many diabetics. What this chemical, called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), does for diabetics is the latest breakthrough in the fight against this disease. One of the benefits is the increase of glucose-dependent insulin secretion. This mimics our own body