The Life Sciences in New York State

Still not exuberant about Exubera

Other than the medical, economic, practical, and legal concerns, this is a fine product...

To be clear, I truly think this is a fine product, and is a good option for many diabetics. What I've objected to is the persistent labelling of this product as a "blockbuster." Clearly, it was never going to be one.

And so here we are...

Pfizer Drug for Diabetes Is Lagging

But Pfizer’s marketing may not be enough to overcome the medical, economic, practical and legal concerns that have hurt Exubera. In theory, the drug’s biggest advantage over standard injectable insulin is that it is more convenient and does not require needle pricks. In reality, though, the Exubera inhaler is bulky and can be hard to use, doctors say. The device is nearly as large as a tennis ball can when it is open, and must be repeatedly pumped before the insulin can be inhaled. Making matters worse, Exubera doses differ from those for standard insulin, and converting doses can be complicated, the doctors say. Also, insurers have been reluctant to pay for Exubera, which costs about $5 a day, compared with $2 to $3 a day for injectable insulin.

Glaxo Mimics Carmaker

Interesting. Such "skunk works" have existed in many industries, including pharma. But rarely have they existed on such a large scale.

Glaxo Mimics Carmaker to Speed Vaccine

GSK Bio adopted a similar tactic and cut the development time of Cervarix in half. Instead of filing for approval at the end of 2008 as planned, "one roof" allowed GSK Bio to do it two-and-a-half years earlier than expected in Europe, and 18 months earlier in the U.S. If approved, as analysts expect it will be, Cervarix could be on the market in the U.S. within six months.