Pfizer has also acquired the rights to the Exubera insulin production facilities located in Frankfurt, Germany, which were previously jointly owned by the companies.
Exubera, the first inhalable form of insulin to be approved since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s, is a rapid-acting, dry powder human insulin that is inhaled through the mouth into the lungs prior to eating, using a portable, handheld inhaler that when closed is about the size of an eyeglass case.
In clinical trials, many patients using Exubera reported greater treatment satisfaction than patients taking insulin by injection. Even those patients who had used both Exubera and insulin injections or diabetes pills reported an overall preference for Exubera.