The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7479 p579
24 November 2007

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Pfizer letter advises on switch from Exubera

Recommendations for switching patients from Exubera inhaled insulin to other diabetes medicines have been set out in a letter sent to health professionals.

The letter follows Pfizer’s decision last month to stop marketing Exubera (PJ, 27 October, p460). Pfizer will support current Exubera patients until 16 January 2008 but from then will no longer promote or sell Exubera.

The worldwide rights for Exubera will be returned to Nektar, the company from which Pfizer licensed the inhaled insulin technology. Pfizer recommends that no new patients be given Exubera and that patients currently using Exubera be transferred to other glucose-lowering medicines.

For patients receiving Exubera as their only insulin, Exubera should be replaced with a long-acting insulin. For patients using Exubera in addition to a long-acting insulin, Exubera should be replaced with an alternative short-acting meal time insulin in addition to continuing the long-acting insulin.