Nickname: Joe

Review: I have been on Exhubera for 4.5 years have had no ill effects, all I have is praise for this method of taking insulin. It is the most convenient and least intrusive way to takE insulin. There is no need of refrigeration when traveling, it gives a dosage that is properly released into your body, no bleeding after a needle or no possibility of accidently injecting the insulin intervenously instead of subcutaneously. No Needles!! all I can say is I wished that it was available when I was told I needed to be on insulin, it took me 18 months before I finally gave in to giving myself needles, had I been able to inhale my insulin I would have started immediately instead of waiting for 18 months. How many people out there with undiagnosed diabetes would feel the same once they knew they had to become insulin dependant to survive? The pump and needles are not the way to go there are numerous drawbacks to both, this was a real breakthought as far as I was concerned. NOW ITS GONE!!!

Date reviewed: Oct 24, 2007 6:19 PM

Nickname: devy

Review: So I have to inhale 3mg of Insulin in order to get the efficacy of 0,28mg subcutane insulin?? I´m afraid of what the other 2,72mg will do to my body.

Date reviewed: Aug 24, 2007 9:57 AM

Nickname: scarredtummy

Review: In the next few years I will have spent 1/2 my life having diabetes. I'm also 2nd generation (my uncle died of complications in the early 1950s and my mother lasted nearly 30 years with hers). My point, is there have been tremendous advances and nearly as many setbacks (remember death by liver disease pills?). The true potential of any treatment is in "quality of life" effect. When insulin was $18 a vile and jumped to $30 "payers" screamed foul. Let Phizer have its 4-fold profit, the secondary manufacturers and generic makers will soon enough have the price in-line. I am currently on pump therapy, but would gladly go shots and snorts, it, for me would be less constricting. This is just my ramble.

Date reviewed: Aug 1, 2007 3:47 AM

Nickname: gandalfmerlinherman

Review: As a Canadian with type 1 diabetes, I do not face the cost issues of my American counterparts as my supplies are covered. However, I would never start Exubera. Exubera's website seems unprofessional and conveys a lack of confidence in the product - Pfizer should be able to answer more questions directly instead of using the stock "consult your physician" response. Note that Pfizer cleverly uses statements like, "In some studies, some adults with diabetes [successfully] replaced their mealtime insulin injections with Exubera," implying that Exubera did not work 100% of the time. Injections are not as evil as Pfizer makes them out to be. I used to inject 6 times daily - I would gladly resort to that before I would use Exubera. The product has not been sufficiently tested; the company behind it seemingly lacks confidence; and Exubera does not eliminate the need for injections for people with type 1 diabetes, effectively killing the major selling point: an alternative to needles.

Date reviewed: Aug 8, 2006 8:25 PM

Nickname: Ramya

Review: As a clinical researcher working on Exubera studies comparing the blood sugar control of subQ insulin users and Exubera users, I know there is no significant difference. Almost all subjects I've had that tried Exubera after being on subQ don't want to go back on subQ because of the apparent ease of use. Within a few days of Exubera dosing, we've been able to train our patients effectively on correct dosing and they've smoothly transitioned into Exubera usage. However, as the article says, there is no polar difference that Exubera will make in a diabetic's disease control; just in quality of life. Also, most Type 1 diabetics have learned to live with injections from when they were children and don't think that it was traumatic or unbearable from the point of view of Pfizer marketing this product for pediatric use. Therefore, though I would like to see this product become a blockbuster, simply ease of delivery may not deliver for Pfizer with Exubera!

Date reviewed: Feb 19, 2006 6:59 PM

Nickname: Heyscooby

Review: I think this article is great. Kudos to BGI for always telling it like it really is. Companies should have to prove what their products can do before we pay for them--especially at up to four times the price! Pfizer has not proven that Exubera delivers a consistent amount of insulin and or that more people stick to their regimen because they would rather inhale than inject.

Date reviewed: Feb 16, 2006 6:44 PM

Nickname: jim

Review: It's interesting that for anyone who actually is injecting themselves with insulin now, they say that Exubera is going to be a niche product. People who are on the outside looking in think that the needles are so painful and inconvenient. The advances in needle sizes and delivery systems (i.e. pens) have decreased the inconvenience/pain factor. The fact that Exubera is for patients who are already giving themselves a shot for their long acting insulin self-limits its utility. If Exubera was a once-a-day insulin, its upside would be tremendous as there are a great number of patients who only take one shot a day right now. But Exubera's utility will not be as dramatic as some suggest.

Date reviewed: Feb 16, 2006 2:20 PM

Nickname: uavshadow

Review: Great article. My daughter is Type 1 and inhaled insulin would offer no advantage I can discern. The Type 2's using insulin should be much better served by Byetta reducing and even possibly eliminating insulin and its documented concerns.

Date reviewed: Feb 16, 2006 7:11 AM

Nickname: DJ

Review: As a type-one diabetic of 16 years I have watched this development for years. I have excellent control over this condition by injecting about 10 times a day (tight control therapy). Take it from me: people like myself will use this product. Although the issues of co- pay, lack of long term studies, and size of the product may still be up in the air, this is a promising development. If I could reduce my injection routine to one long-term insulin shot and multiple doses of inhaled insulin I would pay anything. Many of those who could afford it would do the same. Imagine being diagnosed with a condition that is the third leading cause of death by disease. If you had to make a decision about inhaling insulin or using multiple needle injections, what would you do? What would you choose for your child? This is a very frightening disease for kids to face. After all, the majority of insulin injections start as a juvenile. We will soon have an option to ease the pain. That's amazing!

Date reviewed: Feb 16, 2006 5:04 AM

Nickname: Javajim01

Review: As I read this article, all I could think of is all the known benefits of Byetta (Amylin pharmaceuticals)--weight loss, better lipid profile, better cholesterol profile, better cardiac enzymes and of course, better glucose control. And what of the "downstream" advantages and savings--reduction of current insulin meds, blood pressure meds, etc., not to mention the avoidance of the horrible afflictions for diabetics who fail to control their condition--potential blindness, amputations, numerous emergency room visits. And, what will the payers think when Byetta is shown to enhance beta cell protection/regeneration/and even neogenesis? Only question I have is why didn't he include Byetta in the article?

Date reviewed: Feb 16, 2006 4:16 AM