Since the 1920s, diabetics have had to go through the hassle of daily insulin injections. During that time, German researchers tried to discover more accessible and safer methods for diabetics to get their insulin needs and focused on an inhalable form of insulin. Their ideas eventually lead to the core concept of Exubera by Pfizer.
When it comes to comedic movies, one can’t help but feel that there is something lacking as of late. Many films due their best to appease as many different forms of audience as possible, adding romantic situations to draw in female moviegoers while spattering laughs through cheap bongs to keep the attention of the guys watching the movie. One film that breaks ground by making no such concessions is the recent DVD release known as Grandma’s Boy.
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Pfizer Incorporated, based in New York (NYSE: PFE), is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. It produces the number-one selling drug Lipitor (atorvastatin, used to lower blood cholesterol); the oral antifungal medication Diflucan (fluconazole), the long-acting antibiotic Zithromax (azithromycin), the well-known erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil citrate), and the anti inflammatory Celebrex (celecoxib) (also known as Celebra in some countries outside USA and Canada, mainly in South America).
Delivering Insulin by Inhalation Exubera is a type of inhalable insulin. It is administered through an inhaler, which sprays a form of human insulin into the lungs. Exubera works on similar principles as to how oxygen is absorbed. Oxygen flows into the lungs with a deep breath, makes contact with circulating blood, blood absorbs the oxygen, and is administered throughout the body. Exubera too is absorbed into the blood and regulates the amount of sugar within your blood. The inhaler is about the size of your hand when it is compacted, and about one foot long when it is being used. Some folks refer to it as a “bong”.
The drug Exubera is a powdered insulin that is sprayed into the lungs. This insulin is derived in the lab by using recombinant DNA technology. This method involves the use of laboratory ‘factory cells’. Scientists expose these cells to specific chemical signals that result in the mass production of insulin. Scientists produce in the insulin in this way because it is difficult to synthesize consistently and in high quantities. The insulin they recover from these cells is the basis for what is sprayed into your lungs. This is a very innovative method for producing biological substances in mass quantities.
Exubera works by going into the blood and regulating glucose levels. In a normal pancreas, insulin is produced when blood sugar levels get too high in the blood. In other words, insulin is used to regulate high levels of blood sugar and low levels of blood sugar. Those who would benefit from Exubera are those with type 1 diabetes because of their daily need for insulin. Exubera is different from other forms of insulin intake because it is taken through an inhaler instead of an injection. Human insulin, derived from recombinant DNA technology, is put inside an inhaler. Then, a blister surrounds the insulin, acting like a medicine capsule to safely deliver the insulin into the body. Some of the insulin is absorbed and degraded inside the lung and some of it is absorbed into the blood.
Exubera may sound like the end to needles for Type 1 diabetes patients who have to administer insulin intravenously. However, there are many issues and ongoing concerns with this drug. The first and foremost concern with the drug is the controversial approval by the FDA. Exubera is the first protein sprayed into the lungs that has been approved by the FDA. There has been much criticism of the FDA since 2004, and Exubera only adds to the list. Approval by the FDA was questioned by critics because of inconclusive clinical trials. For example, the effect of Exubera on those who have been smoking for the past 6 months is very serious. Lungs of smokers have the tendency to absorb more insulin, thereby decreasing blood sugar at a higher rate. Therefore, smokers run a higher risk of hypoglycemia. Absorption rates are increased anywhere from 2 to 5 times higher of non-smokers.