More than five million Americans must take insulin every day. Insulin Dependent Diabetics say the greatest bane in their life is their daily quota of insulin shots they must endure. Additionally, receiving this many injections causes scar tissue to eventually form, which decreases insulin absorption, and decreases skin integrity.
Therefore, inhaling your daily dose of insulin was thought to be a real boost to the quality of life of those diabetics required to take daily insulin. Exubera was cited by many as the answer to a diabetic’s prayers. Diabetes is a disease that affects the amount of insulin and sugar in your body. Exubera is a human form of insulin and as such, lowers blood sugar concentrations by allowing the blood sugar to be taken up by cells as a source of fuel. Exubera is a powdered form of insulin that is able to be inhaled into the lungs through the patient's mouth using a specially designed inhaler.
So, what happened? Pfizer is eliminating Exubera from it’s portfolio of drugs. Exubera, as an inhaled form of insulin had great expectations. Yet, after observing their market shares declining, Pfizer has stated Exubera has not been accepted by patients or physicians in the way they had anticipated. Two years ago, when Exubera won approval as the first inhaled insulin, the Endocrinology Advisory Committee was hailing this insulin form as the first major advance in 80 years of insulin production.
Exubera was inhaled approximately 10 minutes prior to eating. It worked well with long acting insulin, or with patients who were taking oral hypoglycemic medications. Although, no safety factors were involved in the discontinuance of this mode of treatment; doctors worried about the affect of this medication on the lungs. Additionally, others worried about whether this medication could maintain the HbA1C at the “Gold Standard’ of less than 7.
It’s unfortunate that this product will be terminated. Patients who have been taking their insulin via an inhaled meter have found the results very satisfying. Additionally, physicians who have tried this form of insulin have also been satisfied. Perhaps, lack of time, money, and better advertisement are to blame. One can only hope that the idea has not died along with the product.
Sources
Citing Lack of Acceptance, Pfizer Pulls Plug on Inhaled Insulin, MedPage Today, October 18, 2007
http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/Prescriptions/dh/7033
Federal Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2006/NEW01304.html
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