The drug is a synthetic form of GLP-1 and was originally derived from the venomous saliva of the Gila monster.

FORBES: Magazine Article

But some food companies are using cell lines that were originally derived from human fetuses in order to develop new food products.

FORBES: Biotech's Fear Factor

This standard, originally derived from horse-drawn wagons in British mines, has remained even as railway engineering has undergone 150 years of change.

ECONOMIST: The millennium-bug muddle

Aspirin, for example, was originally derived from willow bark, and the anticancer drug Taxol comes from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.

FORBES: Ancient Secrets

Taxol was originally derived from endangered yew trees.

FORBES: FDA Hits Avastin, Says Best Selling Breast Cancer Drug Does Not Work

For 60 years, doctors have had only one pill to prevent clotting: warfarin, a drug originally derived from rat poison and sold under the brand name Coumadin by Bristol-Myers Squibb (nyse: BMY - news - people ).

FORBES: Replacing Coumadin

Originally they were derived from coal-tar, the black viscous waste product left over from distilling coal for gas.

FORBES: Jelly Beans: Which Color Is Most Popular At Easter? Why We Love Colored Foods