How good would it be to say goodbye to needles once and for all?
Well, it might just be happening soon.
Behold: inhaled insulin.
The first ever to be created inhaled insulin called Exubera hit the market back in 2006. Unfortunately, their glory was outlived as Pfizer discontinued this drug a little over a year after. Many thought that Exubera’s failure marked the end of inhaled insulin, and the hope of going needle-free was believed to be forever lost.
Well, hope is back, guys.
Afrezza, a fast-acting dry-powder inhaled insulin, was approved by the FDA in 2014, and is available with a prescription for U.S. residents. (Thank you, Sanofi.)
Since Afrezza works as a rapid-acting insulin, you may still need to use intermediate or long-acting subcutaneous insulin to manage your glycemia.
Here are some of the main facts about Afrezza, the only inhaled insulin on the market as of now:
- Rapid-acting insulin used before mealtime
- Peak of action: 53 minutes after breathing in. Length of action: 3 hours.
- Contra-indications: smokers, ex-smokers who stopped for less than six months, have lungs diseases, and people at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis.
- May be contra-indicated: pregnant women, breastfeeding women, have liver or kidney diseases, use of other inhaled medications.
- Common adverse effects: cough, hypoglycemia, headache, diarrhea, nausea, throat pain.
If you are interested in Afrezza, speak with your health care provider to determine if you are an eligible candidate.
References:
MannKind Corporation. Afrezza. URL Link. Accessed January 3, 2017.
