FDA Approves New Diabetic Insulin Inhaler

Diabetics may now have another way of getting their much-needed insulin other than having to inject it.

Insulin is a crucial part of managing diabetes for many who have the disease, which means daily injections with needles are needed to regulate blood-sugar levels.

But in the past few months, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new insulin that patients can inhale.

The new FDA-approved insulin inhaler has just become available, and Mercy Medical Center's Dr. Supneet Saluja said it's another way to manage Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

"If you have it in an inhaled form, the phobia of needles goes away. The device itself is really easy to use. It's like any other inhaler out in the market, and so I think it's user friendly," Saluja said.

But the doctor said because you breathe the insulin into your lungs, you should check with your doctor first if you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are a current or ex-smoker and are pregnant or breastfeeding.

"It's a challenging disease. I believe treatment has to be individualized. There is no set formula, so one thing that works great for one patient might not work for the other patient," Saluja said. "But we have so many different options that make it very exciting."

Reposted from WBAL