Cautions About Exubera

Exubera

Cautions That Should Be Taken

Cautions about Exubera

With all the excitement about the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the first inhaled insulin therapy, Exubera, it may be easy to lose sight of any cautions that should be taken in prescribing and administering the drug.

Although no severe or permanent reactions were seen, one of the cautions that should be taken with Exubera is to monitor lung functionality during therapy. Exubera is a powder that is delivered directly to the lungs (pulmonary delivery). During clinically trials, it appeared as though some patients were experiencing decreased lung functioning. Due to this problem, Pfizer delayed its application to the FDA for approval until it was certain that this was not a significant problem and seemed to disappear over the course of therapy. However, caution should be taken not to prescribe Exubera to any patients with lung disease or asthma, as it is not considered a safe medication.

Other cautions that should be taken with Exubera include smokers not being appropriate patients for this form of insulin therapy. Clinical studies proved that smokers tended to absorb several times as much of the drug into their bloodstream as a non-smoker, and for that reason, a correct dosage is too hard to apply. Cautions should be taken that Exubera is not given to smokers, or ex-smokers who have quit within the last six months.

Cautions should also be taken with children. Exubera has not been approved for use by children. During the time that Pfizer was attempting to determine if the decreased lung functionality was a lasting issue, the company discontinued testing in children. Therefore, upon approval by the FDA, there was no request to approve the use of Exubera in children, and it has not been proven safe in this capacity.

Although Exubera has many cautions that should be taken, it is an extremely efficient drug that will change the face of insulin therapy for diabetics. With this new option, there is hope to save hundreds more lives every year. Exubera should be available for purchase around July of 2006.

This is an absolutely independent news site reporting on Exubera, an insulin delivery system developed by Pfizer or Aventis, which plans to market it under the trademarked name Exubera. Nothing on this website is intended to infringe on that trademark in any way nor is anything on this website is intended to be medical advice. All information provided here is just to be used for informational purposes. Note that you should always consult a doctor with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.