Exubera, we hardly knew ye

[spacecowgirl]

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PNN Pharmacotherapy Line

Oct. 18, 2007 * Special alert

Providing news and information about medications and their proper use

Pfizer announced this morning plans to discontinue sales of inhaled insulin (Exubera) over the next 3 months, citing poor acceptance by patients and physicians. In a news release announcing the company's third-quarter financial results, Jeff Kindler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, was quoted as saying, “Despite our best efforts, Exubera has failed to gain the acceptance of patients and physicians. We have therefore concluded that further investment in this product is unwarranted. We will work with physicians to transition Exubera patients to other treatment options in the next 3 months. We remain committed to investing significant resources in the development of new and innovative medicines to manage diabetes, including monitoring inhalation technologies and other innovative delivery systems for insulin and other medicines.”


Can't say I'm surprised. That was the most awkward, hard to use system. I don't know how it helped people with needle-phobia when you still needed to test glucose and use a basal insulin injection 😕

Hope something better comes along soon.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Thank Gawd! Now my professor can't talk about it. I just watched a demonstration of the device yesterday.
There's only one low point, an upperclassman was suppose to be demonstrating its use today at our health fair 🙁. Poor girl.

 

[no-see-um]

There's only one low point, an upperclassman was suppose to be demonstrating its use today at our health fair 🙁. Poor girl.

🙁 🙁 Maybe she can demonstrate it still, then explain the situation.

 

[genesis09]

We went over it last year, and I thought it wasn't that practical. You could only take 8 units at a time. The Exuberas which we had at my Walgreens looked like they were from the time the drug was originally released. They had an expiration date of November 2007.

 

[CaliCPhT]

When Pfizer came in to talk about Exubera when it was first released, someone asked "where do you put the water?" the Pfizer rep didn't find it quite as funny...

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

in addition to the big inhaler, their statistics are not that great too. . . plus its clinical studies are flawed. I mean comparing inhalation to pills instead of subcutaneous insulin. .. who are they trying to fool.

 

[JerryPharmD]

Thank God, that thing wasn't very effective anyway. Countless patients' lungs are breathing a wee bit easier now. 👍

 

[Farmercyst]

My preceptor just had me read up on it today, too. Guess I'll have something to talk about when I go back next week.

 

[McZyprexalynn]

But it was supposed to be such a big breakthrough! 🙄 I can't imagine how that contraption would be more convenient than a syringe. You'd need a backpack or a briefcase just to tote it all around.

We do (did?) have two patients on it, and unfortunately I think we have every single Exubera related product on our shelves right now. The packaging of the drug (1mg & 3mg blisters) never seemed to work out to the quantity the patient needed so we've got some of both combo packs plus the single dose boxes. Plus, one of our patients needed to replace some piece of the inhaler and it took ordering every Exubera accessory to finally get the part that he needed.

 

[Gabby Pentin]

It didn't seem like such a bad idea to me, but I never saw it dispensed. I returned our entire supply the other month because it expired. I'm pretty sure 90% of our patients smoke, so it wasn't exactly a hot seller.