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Re-thinking Inhaled Insulin's Role in the Global Challenge to Treat Diabetes

Patton JS, Porter L.

RDD Europe 2015. Volume 1, 2015: 49-58.

Abstract:

Diabetes is a vast global health problem that is increasing in severity. Unfortunately, half of the people with diabetes do not know they have it, even as it works its destructive effects on the body. Insulin has traditionally been used as a treatment of last resort in type 2 diabetes (that comprise more than 90 percent of patients worldwide) but treatment guidelines have recently been revised and now outline a more individualized approach to insulin treatment including recommendations to initiate insulin if diet, exercise, and oral agents do not control blood glucose within a few months of diagnosis, or if patients present signs of diabetes complications upon diagnosis. Reluctance and refusal to take injected insulin is well documented, as is the strong patient preference for inhaled over injected insulin. Inhaled insulin has been studied in over 10,000 patients across more than 100 clinical trials, demonstrating safety and efficacy. After the premature demise of the first approved inhaled insulin product, Exubera®, inhaled insulin is commercially available once again in the US in the form of the ultra-rapid-acting dry powder product, Afrezza®. Dance Biopharm is developing an aqueous inhaled insulin product, Dance 501®, with unique characteristics which will provide patients with another option to obtain insulin non-invasively.