Thursday, October 18, 2007
In a statement at their website, Pfizer has announced they are discontinuing the sale of their inhaled insulin product, Exubera: "we made an important decision regarding Exubera, a product for which we initially had high expectations," said Jeff Kindler, Chairman and Chief Executive Off...
Don't forget the weird way of dosing and the lack of safety day about pulmonary impact.
I wish they'd thought to actually consult with some folks who had diabetes in advance of taking this to the marketplace.
Now that there's a large active diabetes blogging community drug makers have really no excuse for not asking us what we think about devices like this. And I'd have told them in advance this one wasn't going to sell. Byetta and Januvia just quickened the death of Exubera.
http://bernardfarrell.com/blog/blogger.html
While there is some negative press surrounding Exubera, it is from people who know little to nothing about the product. Dosing does require thinking, so someone who doesn't think should not use Exubera or any other medication. Many Doctors are not progressive and don't want to change what medications they are prescribing. A different approach must be taken with non-progressive doctors. Unfortunately, some doctors would rather show a patient the negatives versus the positives of a new, progressive product. For me, and millions of insulin dependent diabetics, Exubera is the best solution we have. I know Pfizer will say I have other options, but do I really? I can't have an islet cell transplant due to anti-rejection drugs; I can't take a pill because I am insulin-dependent. My only option is to go back on 4 injections a day: to have bruised, sore arms and legs again and to have to get up and run to the bathroom to give an injection before breakfast, lunch, and dinner or to get gawked at if I give an injection at the table in a restaurant. Exubera is my CURE. I don't have the luxury of not taking insulin. I need it to survive. This may be the closest thing to a cure that many Type I diabetics will ever see.
Pfizer says on their web site, "That's why we at Pfizer are committed to being a global leader in health care and to helping change millions of lives for the better through providing access to safe, effective and affordable medicines and related health care services to the people who need them" (Pfizer.com). Instead of Pfizer improving my life they are taking away the ONLY non-invasive treatment option for me and the 3 million Type I diabetics in the US.
I would love to sit down with the person who made the decision to take it off the market and give him or her 4 injections a day for a week, let alone 20 years, and see if he would change his mind.
Fight4Exubera@aol.com
http://www.myspace.com/reen910