Sevenoaks Catalyst Magazine - Science and Society Issue 3 - Lent term 2021 | Page 22

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Although the idea of using venom in medicine is not recent , drugs using venom peptides have only recently started to appear on market shelves . Currently , only 20 exist . One of the current peptides is called Exenatide , commercially known as Byetta . This drug , which helps treat Type 2 diabetics , is derived from Gila monster venom .

The Gila monster is the largest lizard native to the United States and claims the title of having the most painful venom in vertebrates . It was once thought that a Gila monster could kill a human simply by its breath . It was thought that the reason its breath was so fetid was because the Gila monster lacks an anus , causing it to excrete its waste through the mouth . Fortunately , this was found to be untrue .

Although its venom causes excruciating pain , it is not fatal . In the case of a chance encounter , outrunning one would not be difficult . The Gila monster will sprint after you at a maximum speed of 1 mile per hour , saving you from its nasty bite .