Dear Docs & Friends of Bio Science,

BBC News - Inhaled insulin 'within a year' Latest - 20/04/2005

A device which allows people with diabetes to inhale insulin could be
licensed within a year, scientists claim.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/4468021.stm

A device which allows people with diabetes to inhale, rather than inject,
insulin could be licensed for use within a year, scientists claim.
Tests carried out around the UK and in the US have shown that the device is as
effective as conventional injections. Scientists told the Diabetes UK conference
it would offer a choice to the 700,000 people in the UK who currently need to
take insulin. However, they said inhaled insulin would not be suitable for
everyone. The device, which would fit into a handbag, contains a blister pack of
insulin in the form of dry powder.

While it will not be suitable for everyone this could make a real
difference to the daily lives of many people with diabetes

Douglas Smallwood, Diabetes UK

To release the powder, the user presses a button and inhales the powder. People
with Type 1 diabetes, who develop the condition as children or young adults, are
usually unable to produce any insulin at all. This means they can often need to
inject insulin up to six times a day to boost insulin levels. Anthony Barnett,
professor of medicine at the University of Birmingham, who has been involved in
the insulin inhaler research, said the device - which delivers short-acting
insulin - could cut the number of injections people with Type 1 diabetes need to
just one or two. The researchers have also looked at people with Type 2
diabetes, which usually develops in adulthood and can often be controlled with
diet and medicines. They said inhaled insulin appeared to give better blood
glucose control than taking tablets.

'Choice'

Inhaled insulin is not currently licensed for use, but licence applications have
been made to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. If the European regulator
gives the go-ahead, the device could be used in the UK. A separate body, the
National Institute for Clinical Excellence, would then recommend if it should be
approved for use on the NHS. Professor Barnett said the device could receive its
European licence within a year.

He added: "Good blood glucose control is essential to keeping people with
diabetes healthy. "It can sometimes be very difficult trying to maintain that on
a daily basis. "For some people, one of the difficulties can be having to inject
insulin up to four times a day. "Our hope is that inhaled insulin will provide
more choice, making it easier for people with diabetes to stay healthy." Douglas
Smallwood, chief executive of charity Diabetes UK, added: "Since insulin was
discovered in the 1920s, injections have been the only option. That can be
difficult for some people.

"Many attempts have been made to come up with new treatments and at last we
appear to be close to success. "While it will not be suitable for everyone, this
could make a real difference to the daily lives of many people with diabetes."
In total, around 1.8 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes in the UK,
but it is estimated that a further one million people have the condition but are
unaware of it.


BBC News - Glowing inhaler 'may save lives' Latest - 21/04/2005
An inhaler which glows in the dark could help to cut the number of asthma
fatalities, its inventor says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4464571.stm

A Cumbrian-born inventor has developed a glow-in-the-dark inhaler in a bid to
cut the number of fatal asthma attacks.
Grant Taylor, originally from Carlisle, uses crystals similar to those found in
sea plankton, which glow for 18 hours after only eight minutes in sunlight. He
has spent £3m developing the method, which he hopes will have a number of
medical applications. Mr Taylor says more than 3,000 people die each year
because they cannot find their inhaler in the dark. He was inspired to create
the device after hearing the story of pioneering heart surgeon Christian
Barnard, who died of an asthma attack while trying to find his inhaler in the
dark. Products already manufactured using the crystals include life hammers,
used to smash car and rail carriage glass in an emergencies, Swiss army knives,
fire extinguishers and diving torches.

Mr Taylor, now based in the West Midlands, said: "It's amazing. We've got it
into the fishing industry, on handles in train carriages and even exit signs.
"We're focusing on potentially life-saving devices at the moment. Any critical
care emergencies that require night-time doses, such as heart medication,
diabetic insulin or the contents of medical boxes, would benefit from this
additive."



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