Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Pharma News Only (pfe,mrk,wla, sgp, ahp, bmy, lly) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (757)	9/9/1998 11:56:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1722

Inhale, Pfizer Inhaled Insulin Helps Diabetics Without Shots Bloomberg News September 9, 1998, 10:52 a.m. ET Inhale, Pfizer Inhaled Insulin Helps Diabetics Without Shots Barcelona, Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Inhale Therapeutic Systems Inc. said early results of a study indicate its inhaled-powder insulin help diabetics better control their blood sugar without injections when the new drug is combined with other medicines. Inhale will present results of the study this week at the 34th meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Barcelona. Inhale is working with Pfizer, the world's sixth-largest drugmaker, to develop this product. Looking at results for 56 patients, researchers found that those who took inhaled insulin and other diabetes medicine were better able to control their blood-sugar than those who relied on diabetes medicines, such as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Glucophage alone. These patients are part of a continuing study. ''By eliminating the need for injections for many diabetics, our pulmonary system has the potential to broaden the usage of insulin,'' said Robert Chess, Inhale's chief executive and president, in a statement. Without insulin injections, many diabetics have found it difficult to maintain adequate blood-sugar levels. Poorly treated diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney disease, amputations, heart disease, stroke and death. Inhale, a drug-delivery company based in San Carlos, California, rose 1 5/8 to 29 1/4 in midmorning trading. Pfizer, based in New York, fell 11/16 to 100 as U.S. stocks fell amid concerns that slowing economies around the world will erode corporate profits. Hemoglobin In the work to be presented in Barcelona, researchers looked at the hemoglobin A1c level, a measure of blood-sugar, in patients who had had trouble controlling their diabetes. In diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin as it should. Insulin is the chemical messenger the body normally makes to regulate how glucose, a key source of energy, gets to cells. In the more severe form of the disease, known as Type 1, the pancreas doesn't produce insulin. More common is Type 2 diabetes, where the pancreas doesn't produce adequate insulin. About 90 percent of the 10 million diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. have Type 2 diabetes. Often, people try to control it without insulin shots, relying on diabetes pills and changes in diet. Inhaled Therapeutic's study looked at patients with Type 2, which most often occurs in people over 40. In patients who used the inhaled insulin, the hemoglobin A1c level fell by an average of 2.3 percentage points to 7.5 percent from 9.8 percent. The level fell to 9.8 percent from 9.9 percent in patients using only diabetes medicines. This results are part of a continuing so-called ''Phase IIb'' study. Drugmakers complete three phases of testing before applying to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of a new product. The most extensive testing is done in Phase III, the last stage of trials. The global insulin market, which is estimated to have annual sales of about $3 billion, is dominated by drugmakers Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk A/S of Denmark. The inhaled treatment will boost the profile of Inhale Therapeutic and could give Pfizer a chance to establish itself as a major player in the market for diabetes treatments. Pfizer will market the product for Inhale Therapeutic, which invented the system and will manufacture it. --Kerry Dooley in the Princeton newsroom (609) 279-4016/dd quote.bloomberg.com