Exubera Hailed as Innovation In Prestigious European and American Awards
New York (ots/PRNewswire)
- WSJ/Professor Pedro Nueno: "The drug could encourage diabetes sufferers to get treatment earlier and more often. This has such a tremendous advantage for a huge number of people worldwide. It is a real breakthrough."
- PharmaBarometer: "Despite only being launched into the German market in May 2006, it has been immediately endorsed by diabetologists as the most innovative product of the year."
Pfizer announced today that Exubera, the world's first inhalable, non-injectable insulin, has garnered two prestigious awards for innovation. In the United States, The Wall Street Journal recognized Exubera with the bronze award overall and first in the biotechnology and medical category as a technological breakthrough. In Germany, Exubera was "immediately endorsed by diabetes experts as being the most innovative diabetes medicine of 2006," according to the healthcare publication PharmaBarometer.
"At Pfizer, we take pride in developing innovative medicines that help people live healthier lives. Exubera is a perfect example of medical innovation because it is the first time in over 80 years that people with diabetes have the option of using a non-injectable insulin," said Dr. Michael Berelowitz, Pfizer Worldwide Medical. "We know the effective management of blood sugar control can help patients avoid devastating diabetes complications such as blindness, amputation and kidney failure. Exubera offers patients an important option in starting and continuing their insulin therapy."
Exubera is the first insulin and biotechnology-based medicine to
treat a systemic disorder that can be administered without an
injection. Exubera is the only inhaled insulin to be approved for use
in clinical practice in the European Union, US, Brazil and Mexico,
and it is under regulatory review in several other countries. Its
development took over 15 years and involved experts from diverse
scientific disciplines including biological, chemical, mechanical,
manufacturing, fluid engineering, physics and even aeronautical
engineers. In addition to these awards, Exubera has also been
recognized as an innovative therapy by the 2005 Yearbook of
Endocrinology, Popular Science ("Best of What's New" award) and
Prevention magazine ("Eight Medical Breakthroughs").About Exubera
Exubera is a rapid-acting powdered insulin that is inhaled through the mouth prior to eating, using the handheld Exubera(R) Inhaler. The unique Exubera(R) Inhaler produces a standing cloud of insulin powder, which is designed to pass rapidly into the bloodstream to regulate the body's blood sugar levels.
In the U.S., Exubera is approved for the treatment of adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes for the control of high blood sugar levels. In patients with type 2 diabetes, Exubera can be used alone or in combination with diabetes pills or longer-acting insulin. In patients with type 1 diabetes, Exubera should be used in combination with a longer-acting insulin.
In the European Union, Exubera is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus not adequately controlled with oral anti-diabetic agents and requiring insulin therapy. Exubera is also indicated for the treatment of adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, in addition to long or intermediate acting insulin, for whom the potential benefits of adding inhaled insulin outweigh the potential safety concerns.
Exubera is marketed by Pfizer and is a product of a developmental collaboration between Pfizer and Nektar Therapeutics.
Important Safety Information about Exubera
Patients should not take Exubera if they have poorly controlled or unstable lung disease, or 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 health care provider about a different treatment.
In clinical trials, mean treatment group differences between Exubera and comparators showed that Exubera was associated with small, nonprogressive declines in lung function relative to comparator treatments.
Before starting treatment with Exubera, a healthcare professional will carory out a simple test to check lung function. This will help to find out if Exubera is the right treatment for individual patients. Once a patient starts treatment, it is recommended that a health care provider check lung function again at six months and yearly thereafter.
Like all medicines, Exubera can cause 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, which tended to occur within seconds to minutes after Exubera inhalation. Coughing occurred less frequently as patients continued to use Exubera.
For more information about Exubera, please visit http://www.Exubera.com.
Web site: http://www.pfizer.com http://www.Exubera.com
Contact:
Vanessa Aristide, +1-212-733-3784, or Rebecca Hamm, +1-212-733-8811,
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