Lilly to start phase III study for inhaled insulin

Eli Lilly and Alkermes have announced plans to begin a phase III clinical trial for their inhaled insulin system, called AIR.

It will compare blood-sugar levels between patients with type one and type two diabetes using AIR and those using insulin administered conventionally through injection. The trial is designed to find out whether or not AIR is at least as effective as injected pre-meal insulin and will involve 400 patients who are taking at least one antidiabetic oral medication.

According to charity Diabetes UK, two million Britons are known to have diabetes and approximately 194 adults worldwide. Dr Carlos Paya, vice president of Lilly Research Laboratories and leader of Lilly’s pulmonary development platform, commented: “Diabetes is a major worldwide health threat, and there is a significant need for new therapies that can help patients better manage their blood sugar.”

He added: “This Phase III study is an important component of our comprehensive registration program for our AIR system and affirms our commitment to bringing forward a new treatment option for patients with diabetes.”

Last week Lilly announced its results for the first quarter, when it revealed that its drug Cialis had achieved market share leadership in eleven countries and was being developed for medical uses other than erectile dysfunction. The company reported largely increased revenues generally in comparison to the same period last year.

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