The approval of Exubera provides an alternative for for type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients who want to avoid needles and injections, reports HealthDay News.
Dr. Robert Rapaport, director of the division of pediatric endocrinology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City says, "This is highly positive. It will be a major advance for individuals with diabetes, both children and adults."
He adds, "I think there will be some longstanding questions about its ultimate safety because it's the first inhaled medication that will be used like this. But, assuming the safety profile will be good, it will be a major advance."
Since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s, Exubera is the first new insulin delivery option to be introduced in the market.
Dr. Stuart Weiss, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine says, "There are still some questions as to lung function and diffusion capacity, and smokers can't use it. There are all sorts of things to be concerned about. It's going to take a few years to see whether or not it's as safe as all that."
Type 2 diabetes afflicts some 12-million people in the United States alone. The condition develops when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body cannot use the hormone efficiently.
For Type 1 diabetes sufferers, their body's insulin-producing capabilities are limited or non-existent.
