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Ultra Rapid-Acting Inhaled Insulin Afrezza Now Available in some US Pharmacies

Sanofi and MannKind's ultra rapid-acting inhaled-insulin Afrezza for type 1 and type 2 diabetes is now available in some US pharmacies! Though Sanofi has not officially announced its availability, Afrezza can now be picked up at retail outlets like CVS and Walgreens – we’d note that a special pharmacy order may be required, meaning you can pick it ~1-2 days after you turn the prescription in.

From speaking with pharmacists, it seems that Afrezza’s cash price costs are comparable to those of Novolog and Humalog insulin pens; it’s still unclear how much patients with insurance will need to pay for Afrezza. Given Sanofi’s expertise in selling insulin, we assume pricing will be patient-friendly.

We’ve been monitoring the twitter feed of Sam Finta (@afrezzauser), a type 1 patient who took part in Afrezza’s clinical trials and participated in the FDA Advisory Committee hearing for Afrezza, to hear his experience in these early days. The word so far is certainly very positive and we expect the product’s ease of use will appeal to doctors and nurses too. Afrezza could be an especially good option for type 2 patients that are not achieving their goals on pills, as well as any patient that dislikes injections, those struggling to manage mealtime blood sugars, and those who experience lots of hypoglycemia after meals. The inhaled insulin only comes in two sizes right now, equivalent to 4- or 8-units of injected rapid-acting insulin; it will be interesting to see how it is used in type 1. [Some may choose to use it for particularly high carb meals or to correct a very high blood sugar.] For more on Afrezza, please see our coverage of its FDA approval and partnership with Sanofi.

Kelly Close is on the scene covering the Afrezza news, check out this video below of Sam Finta using Afrezza!

http://diatribe.org/ultra-rapid-acting-inhaled-insulin-afrezza-now-available-some-us-pharmacies