Afrezza: The Future Holds Inhalable Insulin

Yes, believe it or not, there is such thing inhalable insulin. Afrezza, the only inhalable insulin company, has created an inhaler that delivers insulin for diabetics at mealtimes. Afrezza is FDA approved and is very simple to use. There are three different cartridges: 4 units, 8 units, and 12 units. Each of these contain insulin powder that enters the blood through the lungs once it is inhaled. After you choose a cartridge, you inhale through the mouthpiece and then you can proceed to eat the amount of carbs that you gave insulin for. Afrezza is designed for mealtimes because it delivers a fixed amount of insulin that covers the limited amount of carbs that one eats in a meal. In January, the French pharma company, Sanofi, that carried the inhalable insulin dropped the product because of low sales rates. However, pharmaceutical company Mannkind has announced this month that they have regained the worldwide rights to Afrezza and will continue selling the inhalable insulin. “The return of control of Afrezza is a landmark day for MannKind,” said MannKind CEO Matthew Pfeffer. “We are thrilled to begin the process of making Afrezza the successful mealtime treatment for people with diabetes that we always believed it would be. In the coming weeks, we will roll out more information about our commercial team for Afrezza, the resources that we are designing for patients and physicians, and our plans for the future.”