Exubera unpopular in Germany
The Institute of Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), the German equivalent of NICE, has completed a Rapid Review of Inhaled Insulin (Exubera)®.
The report aimed to compare inhaled insulin to subcutaneous insulin over several patient-relevant endpoints including HbA1c control, quality of life, treatment satisfaction, hypoglycaemia, adverse drug events and prevention of complications.
The report concluded that:
- the risks of hypoglycaemia may be higher
- long term treatment risks are unclear
- reductions in the number of injections may not improve patient satisfaction or quality of life
IQWiG recommend that additional work needs to be undertaken in these areas to allow a more conclusive evaluation to be completed.
Action: Clinicians involved in treating diabetes may wish to be aware of the latest reviews of inhaled insulin. A Technology Appraisal from NICE is due in October 2006.
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Thanks for that Matthew.
Comment by Anthony — May 23, 2006 #