Special Packaging Delivers Inhaled Insulin

Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and accounts for $286 billion in annual healthcare costs. Globally, 194 million people suffer from diabetes and this number is rising rapidly. For these patients, a regular regimen of pills or injectable insulin is necessary to control blood-glucose levels and to minimize the chance of disabling and potentially deadly complications such as blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease, and limb loss.

"Exubera" (Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, www.pfizer.com/), a new treatment for adults with types 1 or 2 diabetes, is the world's first inhaled insulin. The drug, a rapid-acting human insulin made with recombinant DNA technology, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission (EC) in January 2006. Expected to be available globally by mid-year, Exubera offers diabetic patients an alternative to traditional regimens and can replace injections, a delivery route often associated with poor patient compliance. Other advantages of the inhaled insulin include faster entry into the bloodstream compared with injectable insulin. Furthermore, unlike injectable insulin, the powdered form does not require refrigeration.

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