Exubera: inhaled insulin for diabetes.
Over 2 million people in the UK have diabetes mellitus, of whom around 20% have type 1 and 80% type 2 disease. A key aim of treatment is to optimise glycaemic control to minimise symptoms, prevent complications and extend survival. To these ends, subcutaneous insulin is used to manage all patients with type 1 diabetes and some patients with type 2 diabetes. Another potential route of administering insulin is by inhalation. Exubera (Pfizer), the first licensed inhaled insulin in the UK, is promoted as "the new look of insulin" and as maintaining "long-term glycaemic control". What does it offer in the management of patients with diabetes?
D000284:Administration, Oral; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
C473734:Exubera; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin