Inhalable Insulin for Diabetes Sufferers?

Earlier this year the Mannkind Corporation, California, made an application to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a revolutionary inhalable insulin called AFREZZA™.

The application was declined, as the FDA required further information in order to properly consider the application. Mannkind were however granted permission to resubmit their application with additional information.

Inhalable insulin has not been seen on the market since 2007 when its makers Pfizer withdrew Exubera from the market. The idea behind inhalable insulin is to allow both type 1 and type 2 diabetics to avoid having to inject themselves daily.  Mannkind’s inhalable insulin differs from Pfizer’s in that it is an ultra-rapid acting insulin which is designed to be taken just before meals.

Insulin cannot be taken orally as once it reaches the stomach it is destroyed by the digestive process. The inhaling of a powder means that the drug is inhaled into the lungs where it is absorbed by the capillaries  and enters the blood stream directly.

Leone-Bay, Ph.D, MannKind Corporation said,

“AFREZZA™ controls glucose as well as current state-of-the-art treatments, poses a lower risk of hypoglycaemia than that typically associated with mealtime insulin therapy, and leads to less weight gain compared to other insulin treatments”.

MannKind Corporation resubmitted their application to the FDA yesterday. The FDA responding by accepting the resubmission and setting Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) review for 29^th December 2010.

There is no cure for diabetes but the new method of taking insulin will no doubt relieve some of the stress associated with living with the condition. Of course, there is no guarantee that the FDA will approve this new drug but be sure to keep up to date on the progress being made. Read the full release here.

More information about inhalable insulin:

American Chemical Society

Bloomberg

Blogs:

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