Inhaler boost for diabetics

A GALWAY-BASED company, Aerogen Ltd, has devised a new way for diabetic patients to take their insulin medication.

The company has announced a drug- delivery partnership with San Francisco biotech firm Dance Pharmaceuticals, which will enable it to develop a next generation inhaled insulin product.

This could see an end to the injections currently used by diabetic patients as the product will allow the insulin to be taken through aerosol technology, which means medication is nebulised into a fine particle mist that can be absorbed through the lungs while maintaining drug integrity.

Colin Tefler, director of business development and partnered programmes with Aerogen, said the advances in technology that allow for inhaled medicines could radically alter the lives of diabetics and other patients.

“This is one of the biggest areas of healthcare investment right now with several companies trying to crack the whole area of inhaled insulin. We believe we have got the delivery system right to succeed in this area. There has been something like €6 billion spent by industry globally in the belief that inhaled insulin could be a significant advance.”

Diabetes affects more than 200,000 people in Ireland, while the number of patients globally is expected to double over the next two decades.

Aerogen, which employs 40 staff in its Galway office, hopes to be able to tap into this market and become a global leader in the race to replace injections. The company said the product would be cost competitive and expects it to be on the shelves in three to five years’ time.