The Food and Drug Administration says it has approved a long-delayed inhalable diabetes medication to help patients control their blood sugar levels.
The FDA cleared MannKind Corp.‘s drug Afrezza, a fast-acting form of insulin, for adults with the most common form of diabetes, which affects more than 25 million Americans. The approval decision comes more than three years after the agency first asked MannKind to run additional clinical studies on the drug.
Afrezza, an insulin powder, comes in a single-use cartridge and is designed to be inhaled at the start of a meal. MannKind has said patients using the drug can achieve peak insulin levels within 12 to 15 minutes. That compares to a wait time of an hour and a half or more after patients inject insulin.
(AP)
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2 Responses
Eating less and exercise probably are the most effective treatments for Type 2 Diabetes, and probably work as a cure rather than relief of symptons, but the FDA never approved diet and exercise, and they are therefore not covered by insurance or prescribed.
#1: Exercise may be covered: some insurance plans cover health club membership (my Oxford plan did, about 10-15 years ago). Diet means eating some foods instead of others, and since the bad foods aren’t covered by insurance, there’s no reason the good foods should be, either. As far as FDA approval, not correct, either. Over-the-counter meds are FDA approved and they’re not covered, except by certain Medicaid plans.