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MoH okays insulin inhaler for diabetics

ABU DHABI — Diabetes patients in the UAE can soon look forward to inhaling insulin, instead of taking injections.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has approved the registration of an insulin inhalation dry powder, widely seen as a revolution in diabetes medication.

“Exubera, the first inhaled form of insulin, has won the approval of the Higher Drugs Registration Committee at MoH,” disclosed Dr Issa bin Jakka Al Mansouri, Director of the Drug Control Department at MoH.

The initiative is being considered a major step as 19.5 per cent of the UAE’s population in the 20-70 age group is diabetic. This prevalence rate, according to recent reports, is expected to shoot up to around 22 per cent by 2025.

According to Dr Mansouri, the inhaler was likely to hit the local market in six months. “Marketing and promotion of the product is the company’s responsibility,” he pointed out.

“However, the ministry’s approval to register the medicine is conditional because the company manufacturing it is yet to provide further documentations to us,” Dr Mansouri noted.

Manufactured by Pfizer, the inhalation powder has been approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes among adults.

Precaution

Patients should not take Exubera if they smoke or have stopped smoking less than six months prior to starting Exubera treatment.

If a patient starts smoking or resumes smoking, he or she must stop using Exubera and see a doctor. Exubera may affect the lung function, so patients need to have their lungs tested before starting Exubera, and periodically thereafter, as directed by the doctor.

Exubera is not recommended for people who have chronic lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema. Also, Exubera should not be used at all by people with unstable or poorly controlled lung disease.

Side effects

As with all forms of insulin, a possible side effect of Exubera is low blood sugar levels.

Some patients have reported a mild cough while taking Exubera. Coughing occurred less frequently as patients continued to use Exubera.

Source: Internet.