{blacktriangledown}Exubera: inhaled insulin for diabetes

doi:10.1136/dtb.2007.4515

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin 2007;45:5-8; doi:10.1136/dtb.2007.4515

${blacktriangledown}$ Exubera: inhaled insulin for diabetes

Relevant BNF section: 6.1.1.1

Over 2 million people in the UK have diabetes mellitus, of whomaround 20% have type 1 and 80% type 2 disease.¹ A key aim oftreatment is to optimise glycaemic control to minimise symptoms,prevent complications and extend survival. To these ends, subcutaneousinsulin is used to manage all patients with type 1 diabetesand some patients with type 2 diabetes. Another potential routeof administering insulin is by inhalation. ${blacktriangledown}$ Exubera (Pfizer),the first licensed inhaled insulin in the UK, is promoted as"the new look of insulin" and as maintaining "long-term glycaemiccontrol". What does it offer in the management of patients withdiabetes?