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NEW DRUG UPDATE
Novel treatments are being developed to meet huge and growing diabetes market
New Products
Exubera inhaled insulin
Use: diabetes (types 1 and 2)
The new Exubera inhaler sends a powdered air cloud containing insulin into the lungs with each deep, slow breath. First of its kind, Exubera is the only type of insulin that may enable at least some diabetes patients to avoid injections altogether.
Health Canada has approved Exubera for adults with type 2 diabetes as monotherapy, or in combination with oral medications or longer-acting insulins. In adults with type 1 diabetes, Exubera must be used in regimens that include a longer-acting insulin.
In the U.S. (where the FDA approved Exubera in 2006), physicians are already prescribing Exubera and this summer the inhaler may be advertised directly to patients. For Canadian patients, Exubera should be available in the late fall.
For the thousands of people who dread any type of needle, Exubera may prove to be aptly named. Though most people with type 2 diabetes will eventually need insulin for optimal blood sugar control, many patients who might benefit from insulin fear a regimen of constant, daily injections. Patient reluctance to initiate or intensify insulin therapy may put them at risk for serious complications.
Exubera is the result of a $ 1 billion drug development program-one of the costliest ever initiated for any diabetes treatment. The safety and efficacy of Exubera were studied in more than 2,500 adults with type 2 or type 1 diabetes for an average duration of 20 months. The inhaled insulin was shown to be well-tolerated and as effective as...