You may have noticed an aggressive new ad campaign for a diabetes drug called
Exubera. It's inhalant insulin. It's actually been available for a year, so why
the big push now? Eye on Health asked Las Vegas endocrinologist, Fred Toffel.
At first, there was a lot of excitement about Exubera because the inhalant
insulin seems like a great alternative to needles. Endocrinologist Fred Toffel
says Exubera is effective, but a number of drawbacks have kept it from reaching
high-volume sales.
He says that may be because it's complicated to use or because of its possible
side effects on the lungs.
"Exubera requires some specialized training on how to teach a patient to use it
properly," shared Toffel. "Additionally, since the medication is inhaled, one
has to do pulmonary function tests ahead of time. And there are a lot of
patients who do not qualify for the use of the medication."
In fact, there are a lot of diabetics who are unable to use Exubera, including
those who are smokers or have a chronic lung condition. It's also not available
for children.
For patients who can't afford the required lung tests, it can be a financial
burden.
"Medicare, for instance, which is a big audience for people with diabetes, as we
know 20% of people over 65 have diabetes, so that's a major audience, will not
pay for the breathing tests for this drug, at least here in Nevada," said Toffel.
Dr. Toffel says there are two more inhalant insulins coming out soon that may be
more user friendly.
