Georgia
02-09-2006, 09:40 AM
So, has anyone now decided to give the inhalor a go?
This is from Diabetes UK.....
Q. What is Exubera ®(inhaled insulin)?
A. Inhaled insulin is a fast- acting, dry powder preparation of human insulin that is inhaled into the lungs via the mouth before meals, using a specially designed inhalation device. Inhaled insulin has been developed for use in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes through collaboration between Pfizer Inc and Nektar Therapeutics. Pfizer is responsible for marketing, manufacturing and the clinical development of Exubera®. Nektar provides support in the manufacturing process for Exubera®, and manufactures the device.
Q. Who can use Exubera ®?
A. It is important to closely liaise with your healthcare team to ensure Exubera ® is right for you. Adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who aren’t adequately controlled with normal diabetes medications may be able to use inhaled insulin. People must have adequate lung function before starting Exubera ® and for this reason people planning to use Exubera ® will need a baseline basic lung function examination before starting therapy. The lung function test is known as FEV. It is a test in which you will be asked to blow into a device called a spirometer which measures how quickly and easily air flows out of the lungs. In a small number of people further lung function tests may be needed if a significant decline in lung function occurs after starting Exubera®.
Exubera ® is not suitable for smokers. Smoking greatly increases the absorption of inhaled insulin and therefore could increase the risk of hypoglycaemia. For this reason people must have stopped smoking for six months before considering starting inhaled insulin. If a person starts smoking again, inhaled insulin must be stopped immediately and alternative diabetes treatments should be discussed with their healthcare team.
Exubera ® has not been approved for use in children.
Q. Will I still need to inject my background insulin?
If you take background insulin injections it is essential to remember that Exubera ® must be used in combination with this. Talk to your healthcare team about whether the amount or timing of this needs to be changed.
Q. Can Exubera ® be used with other diabetes tablets?
A. Inhaled insulin has been used in trials with other common diabetes tablets including sulphonylureas and metformin. If you are taking diabetes tablets you may still need to continue taking these and your dose may need to be altered. You should discuss this with your healthcare team.
Q. When should Exubera® be taken?
A. The inhaled insulin should be taken before meals.
Q. How much inhaled insulin will I need to take?
A. The dose will be decided with your diabetes care team according to factors such as your weight, your blood glucose levels and what your meal consists of.
Q. What does the inhaler look like?
A. The inhaler is about the size of a spectacle case. The device does not need batteries or electricity to operate.
Q. Are there any side effects of Exubera ®?
A. As is usual with insulin treatments, the most common side effect of Exubera® is hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels). In studies hypoglycaemia occurred with approximately the same rate as seen with commonly used subcutaneous (injectable) insulin.
In trials, involving over 3,500 volunteers using Exubera ®, some people experienced coughs with one per cent discontinuing the therapy because of this.
Dyspnoea (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath) productive cough, throat irritation and dry throat were also reported by some of the patients in the clinical trials.
As with all medicines if any of these side effects or unusual symptoms are experienced people should consult their doctor.
Q. Will I still have to blood glucose monitor?
A. As with any insulin treatment people using Exubera ® will need to monitor their blood glucose levels. And as with any change in treatment starting Exubera ® will mean you will have to monitor your blood glucose levels more closely
Q. Is Exubera® available now?
A. The EU licence for Exubera ® has just been granted. Granting of this EU authorisation now allows the production of the inhaler and the dry powder insulin formulation. It is not yet available for prescription but in the UK it is expected to be available for people with diabetes in May 2006. It has been referred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) for consideration. NICE is a body that advises on the clinical and cost effectiveness of medicines.
What do you think? :idea:
This is from Diabetes UK.....
Q. What is Exubera ®(inhaled insulin)?
A. Inhaled insulin is a fast- acting, dry powder preparation of human insulin that is inhaled into the lungs via the mouth before meals, using a specially designed inhalation device. Inhaled insulin has been developed for use in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes through collaboration between Pfizer Inc and Nektar Therapeutics. Pfizer is responsible for marketing, manufacturing and the clinical development of Exubera®. Nektar provides support in the manufacturing process for Exubera®, and manufactures the device.
Q. Who can use Exubera ®?
A. It is important to closely liaise with your healthcare team to ensure Exubera ® is right for you. Adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who aren’t adequately controlled with normal diabetes medications may be able to use inhaled insulin. People must have adequate lung function before starting Exubera ® and for this reason people planning to use Exubera ® will need a baseline basic lung function examination before starting therapy. The lung function test is known as FEV. It is a test in which you will be asked to blow into a device called a spirometer which measures how quickly and easily air flows out of the lungs. In a small number of people further lung function tests may be needed if a significant decline in lung function occurs after starting Exubera®.
Exubera ® is not suitable for smokers. Smoking greatly increases the absorption of inhaled insulin and therefore could increase the risk of hypoglycaemia. For this reason people must have stopped smoking for six months before considering starting inhaled insulin. If a person starts smoking again, inhaled insulin must be stopped immediately and alternative diabetes treatments should be discussed with their healthcare team.
Exubera ® has not been approved for use in children.
Q. Will I still need to inject my background insulin?
If you take background insulin injections it is essential to remember that Exubera ® must be used in combination with this. Talk to your healthcare team about whether the amount or timing of this needs to be changed.
Q. Can Exubera ® be used with other diabetes tablets?
A. Inhaled insulin has been used in trials with other common diabetes tablets including sulphonylureas and metformin. If you are taking diabetes tablets you may still need to continue taking these and your dose may need to be altered. You should discuss this with your healthcare team.
Q. When should Exubera® be taken?
A. The inhaled insulin should be taken before meals.
Q. How much inhaled insulin will I need to take?
A. The dose will be decided with your diabetes care team according to factors such as your weight, your blood glucose levels and what your meal consists of.
Q. What does the inhaler look like?
A. The inhaler is about the size of a spectacle case. The device does not need batteries or electricity to operate.
Q. Are there any side effects of Exubera ®?
A. As is usual with insulin treatments, the most common side effect of Exubera® is hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels). In studies hypoglycaemia occurred with approximately the same rate as seen with commonly used subcutaneous (injectable) insulin.
In trials, involving over 3,500 volunteers using Exubera ®, some people experienced coughs with one per cent discontinuing the therapy because of this.
Dyspnoea (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath) productive cough, throat irritation and dry throat were also reported by some of the patients in the clinical trials.
As with all medicines if any of these side effects or unusual symptoms are experienced people should consult their doctor.
Q. Will I still have to blood glucose monitor?
A. As with any insulin treatment people using Exubera ® will need to monitor their blood glucose levels. And as with any change in treatment starting Exubera ® will mean you will have to monitor your blood glucose levels more closely
Q. Is Exubera® available now?
A. The EU licence for Exubera ® has just been granted. Granting of this EU authorisation now allows the production of the inhaler and the dry powder insulin formulation. It is not yet available for prescription but in the UK it is expected to be available for people with diabetes in May 2006. It has been referred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) for consideration. NICE is a body that advises on the clinical and cost effectiveness of medicines.
What do you think? :idea: