For those of you out there still wishing for an better inhaled insulin solution there just might be hope yet. Or at least as long as Alfred E. Mann can help it. He believes in it so much he is going to invest $966 Million of his own money.
“I believe this is one of the most valuable products in history in the drug industry, and I’m willing to back it up with my estate,”
NYT has a great article/interview in whch they talk to Mr. Mann about it, discuss Pfizer’s 2.8 billion dollar Exubera inhaled insulin failure and what things are to come.
The product, called Technosphere Insulin (They made the inhaler slightly larger than a cell phone), holds promise they say:
“The distinguishing feature of Technosphere Insulin is that it goes to work faster than any other insulin on the market, even so-called fast-acting injected insulins. That could be better at helping control the spike in blood sugar levels that occurs after a meal.
Technosphere Insulin also finishes its work of helping the body use glucose in two or three hours, faster than other products. That might reduce the risk of dangerously low glucose levels several hours after a meal – a big concern for diabetics.”
It certainly sounds interesting, something I might even use if they put it in a portable, easy to use device that doesn’t look like a gigantic bong. But I think Mann has identified that as one of the huge mistakes that Pfizer made and has learned from it 
He says Pfizer’s Exubera was:
“an expensive way to fairly inconveniently deliver insulin in a manner which has no clinical advantage.”
Like many of the other drugs there still has to be a ton of testing done before its available. But it might be something to look out for in the future.
Read the full article at the New York Times: Betting an Estate on Inhaled Insulin
