Comments on: Exubera “Bong” OK for Older Folks?

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:31:22 +0000

Sorry I did not post to this area before now, (I see the last post was 3/2007) I know this Exubera Product because I was working on it. I see a lot of bashing on the product, but it looks like those posts were not done by people that had actually used the product. The ones that had, seemed to be very positive. This product was the first of it’s kind to hit the market (that I now of). With every new invention, a product goes through learning curves. The drug invironment can not be compared to other inventions because the laws make that market so different, which I won’t go into.
My main point is I think the product was a good idea, but a company can only spend so much time and money on an “idea” before it has to market something to pay for it. The bash on Exubera seems to be on the size of the inhaler, vs what the process can actually achive for the patient. I would like to remind people of other items, take for example people with breathing problems (asthma). The machines that used to help them breath were huge, now they are small and can be placed in a person’s pocket. What about computers, they used to take up the entire basements of football stadiums, now they can fit on our desks or be carried around as laptops.
I don’t think the bashers of this product gave it enough time and I am sure most of the bashers were companies compeating against Pfizer on this product. And the press looking for a story just jumped on the band wagon instead of doing some constructive research. But we all know what news sells best.
Last thought, many of these people did not know that Pfizer had a phase 2 inhaler in the works that was the size of a women’s compact. What would the bashers have said about this, had Pfizer came out with it first?

By: david

david — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:35:11 +0000

Yes it is large but hell it sure beats injections by miles. It is so easy.

By: Avi Brand

Avi Brand — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:24:38 +0000

Who made this insulin dispenser? Grafix?

By: Sunil S Chiplunkar

Sunil S Chiplunkar — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 08:03:17 +0000

The times are achanging

There was a time in the pharma industry (1960s – 1970s) where one had to meet a nucleus of doctors give them a great looking MR, good presenter – charmer visiting them regularly, give some freebies, gifts, seminars, luncheons; good ego massage and the prescriptions would start rolling. Patients too would not be too assertive or questioning with the doctors.

Well times are achanging. Now its the internet era – the web 2.0 revolution is on. Business is at the speed of thought. Business plans get disrupted a lot faster. There is a remarkably high level of patient empowerment and societal consciousness on various issues. There are more assertive and informed stakeholders in the healthcare delivery process. Hence, diffusion of pharma innovations are a lot tougher. Perhaps if the Vioxx launch had happened in the 1960s it would not have had such an exit. They would have repositioned Vioxx as a short term use NSAID.

Exubera

Pfizer with high hopes, launched it like a bong
Thought – it would be click like a gong
But missing is the exuberance
All it got is malevolence
So will Exubera bomb?
http://www.pharmaceuticalshealthcare.blogspot.com

By: jt

jt — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 17:08:40 +0000

Beware of sales reps from other insulin companies “bashing” the device. They are also offering Dr. s biased “CME” programs and high “honorariums” to do talks where they casually dismiss the device. In the trials 8 out of 10 patients liked it better than injections.

By: bobbie be

bobbie be — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:07:33 +0000

I’m a new user of Exubera and I can tell you it’s easy to use and my test readings shows it works just fine. My endo wouldn’t write a prescription, but couldn’t come up with any real reason why other than ‘it’s too new.’ So, I found an endo who would write a prescription. My cousin went through this same runaround when pumps first came out. He had to shop docs to get one! Same as ever!

By: Princessjenny1977

Princessjenny1977 — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 04:48:59 +0000

Actually, I am now on Exubera, the bong concept is funny, never really thought of it that way, but WOW…this stuff is SO easy and it is really working!

By: shellstar_rocks

shellstar_rocks — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:41:25 +0000

like most of us PWD, i too, was excited to read the press about the recent FDA approval of Exubera… could this be a simple, socially acceptable solution to pulling out my Humalog pen at the dinner table?

unfortunately, my endo at UCSF was less than enthused when i quizzed her about it last visit. “Not enough clinical data/clinical trials too short/potential to damage lungs/etc”… i was a bit miffed by her reaction and put it down to being resistant to changes in treatment.

however, her real resistance was actually a fear of my resistance… without lengthy clinical trials, the possibility of us patients developing insulin resistence is unknown. and she’s not willing to take that risk.

and neither am i.

By: Lukas

Lukas — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 14:38:18 +0000

has anybody actually tried exubera? heard you have to inhale for 15 minutes. seems like fun sitting at the dinner table bonging your dose of insulin while dinner gets cold.

can you report any experience?

thanx lukas

By: JasonJayhawk

JasonJayhawk — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 09:01:25 +0000

Just heard from a tiny bird (okay, my sister, a pharmacist) that the drug reps are touting this device as costing $10.00 — it won’t be free from doctors — “because patients would be more likely to lose it if they got it for free.”

The drug rep that spoke to my sister was programmed to answer “I don’t know” for every question about the product that was not answered in the sales presentation, and showed no intention of finding and reporting back the answers. That kind of elusive behavior makes us wonder what Pfizer has up its sleeve.

No hospital endocrinologists were present at the presentation. (?!)