It actually comes from the saliva of the Gila Monster. Of course, the version actually used in the medication Exenatide (Byetta) is synthetic.

This study was published a few months ago. I thought it was well done given the circumstances and difficulty of administering byetta. At least the researchers were right up front in discussing the drawbacks of the study design and potential placebo effect. In any case, I hope we don't have to wait years to see a more extensive follow-up. Right now, I'm not aware of any other ongoing clinical studies.