The Inhaled Insulin Exubera, Shows Effectiveness in Study

Exubera, an inhaled insulin powder, worked as well in a study of 226 patients as injectable insulin. Participating in Exubera’s development are two other companies, Sanofi-Aventis and Nektar Therapeutics.

Pfizer also said other studies also showed that Exubera was well tolerated and provided effective control of blood sugar.

The studies appeared to leave open the question of whether Exubera can damage the lungs, an issue that has slowed the drug’s approval. Pfizer said only that the studies showed patients "experienced no clinically important effects on pulmonary function" but did not define "clinically important effects," said the report.

The company presented its findings at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions conference in San Diego, the New York Times reported Wednesday.