The inhaled insulin drug Exubera, hailed as an massive leap forward in diabetic treatment, is prepared to entirely cease production. Diabetics who have needle phobia and hate injecting insulin will have one less avenue to successful diabetes management .
The diabetic drug manufacturer and pharmaceutical company Pfizer have announced that they will return their global licence to produce and sell the inhaled insulin products. Pfizer will give the licence back to the original manufacturer of the drug, Nektar Therapeutics.
The drug, which was released in august 2006, has not generated sufficient demand, particularly after NICE complications. Just 600 people in the UK are using the inhaled insulin, the majority have needle phobia or hitches with standard injection sites.
Speaking for leading diabetes charity Diabetes UK, Simon O’Neill was reported in the diabetes news as saying: “Inhaled insulin offered some people with diabetes, especially those with needle phobia, the only alternative to insulin injections. Some people also found that using inhaled insulin improved their diabetes control.
“Therefore some people might now face psychological difficulties when considering having to go back to regular insulin injections, due to their needlephobia, or may worry that their diabetes control could worsen. Badly controlled diabetes increases the risk of developing the condition’s various complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney disease and amputation.”

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