Health for life

Rite Aid is teaming up with the American Diabetes Association to raise awareness and funds for its national Stop Diabetes campaign, offer incentives for patients to take Diabetes Risk Tests, distribute diabetes guides at every pharmacy counter, and host more than 1,200 free diabetes clinics during American Diabetes Month in November.

Heres their press release:
Rite Aid Joins American Diabetes Association in Fight to Stop Diabetes®

"In November 1,200 Rite Aid stores will host Diabetes Solutions Days offering free blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure screenings and Body Mass Index (BMI) readings. Visitors to these annual clinics also can try free samples of over-the-counter medications and other diabetes products, discuss diabetes management with a Rite Aid pharmacist, and get a potentially life-saving flu shot."

Visit their site to locate Rite Aid stores near you that offer flu shots.
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The FDA yesterday approved Exubera^®, the powered inhalable insulin developed by Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis, for the treatment of diabetes. (Pfizer since acquired sole worldwide rights.)

Inhaled insulin is a breakthrough for the drugs administration which until now required injection - by needle, pen, or pump. Insulin cannot be taken orally since the protein is broken down by digestive enzymes. Exubera is designed to enter the lungs though the mouth via an inhaler, originally designed by Nektar Therapeutics (shown).

Inhaled insulin has the potential to ease the burden of injection, but there are a few caveats:

• Its not recommended for smokers, those with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, or other unstable lung conditions.
  
• Currently, it can only replace the short-acting, bolus dose of insulin. If a longer-acting basal dose is needed, that would need to be injected.

Price may also be a consideration. The New York Times reports that:

"Exubera would cost between $120 and $150 a month, roughly comparable to the price of pills taken by some people with Type 2 diabetes but about three times the price of injectable insulin."

Exubera should be available by prescription this summer. Pfizer has posted the following hotline for consumers or health care providers whod like more information: 1-800-EXUBERA.

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FDA Press release:
FDA Approves First Ever Inhaled Insulin Combination Product for Treatment of Diabetes

Pfizer press release:
Pfizer Receives FDA Approval for Exubera, the First Inhalable Form of Insulin for Controlling Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Adults

Some news summaries:
US Regulators Approve Insulin in Inhaled Form
FDA Approves Inhaled Insulin for Diabetics