Inhaled insulin promises breath of fresh air for people with diabetes

Inhaled insulin could be close to becoming a reality for people with diabetes in light of new trial results published today.  This could be a first step towards putting an end to insulin injections for the 700,000 people in the UK who need daily injections to stay alive and healthy.

Results of a number of ongoing trials into the safety and effectiveness of inhaled short acting/ mealtime insulin have been presented at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference in Glasgow .  Teams in Birmingham , London
and Miami have been looking at inhaled insulin for use in adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Speaking at the conference, Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK said, "Since insulin was discovered in the 1920s injections have been the only option.  That can be difficult for some people.  Many attempts have been made to come up with new treatments and at last we appear to be close to success.  While it will not be suitable for everyone this could make a real difference to the daily lives of many people with diabetes."

Results show that for people with Type 2 diabetes already on tablets, inhaled insulin gives better blood glucose control than taking more tablets.  For those with Type 1 diabetes, four years of inhaled insulin treatment combined with a daily long-lasting insulin injection have proven effective with no serious side effects.

Inhaled insulin is not currently licenced for use, however licence applications have been made to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. Current work is into short acting/mealtime insulin.  Those currently taking long acting insulin injections will still have to continue taking these. It is hoped that the treatment could be available within a year.  The inhaler is different to the traditional asthma inhaler.

Professor Anthony Barnett, Professor of Medicine, University of Birmingham & Heartlands & Solihull National Health Service Trust, Birmingham said,  "Good blood glucose control is essential to keeping people with diabetes healthy.  It can sometimes be very difficult trying to maintain that on a daily basis.  For some people, one of the difficulties can be having to inject insulin up to four times a day.  Our hope is that inhaled insulin will provide more choice, making it easier for people with diabetes to stay healthy."

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Notes

1 The research described above are referenced from poster sessions presented at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference 2005. JS Skyler and E Piper - Efficacy and safety of an intensive inhaled insulin regimen
in patients with Type 1diabetes. JE Skyler and S Pandya - Four years of continuous therapy demonstrates long-term, sustained efficacy, and safety of inhaled insulin. AH Barnett, SA Amiel and D Hopkins - Six-month efficacy and 2-year safety of inhaled insulin as adjunctive therapy in combination with an oral agent.

2 Diabetes UK is the charity for people with diabetes. We fund medical research, provide information and support to people with diabetes and campaign on their behalf.

(21/4/05)