Being first in the inhaled insulin market is not an advantage for Pfizer

Apr/10/2007 06:09 Filed in: Pharma Business
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Could Pfizer have an expensive failure on their hands with Exubera, the first inhaled insulin? It seems like a lot of people think so including some Wall Street analysts who are revising the sales forecast for Exubera way down. Pfizer has changed the selling of Exubera from the pain management division to the CV division but what Pfizer hasn't learned that in order for a product to be adopted by the market it needs to be easy to use and convenient. Exubera unfortunately doesn't have any of these traits and companies like Lilly which have inhaled insulin in development are taking notes from Pfizer's mistakes.



According to an article in today's New York Times:


But Pfizer’s marketing may not be enough to overcome the medical, economic, practical and legal concerns that have hurt Exubera. In theory, the drug’s biggest advantage over standard injectable insulin is that it is more convenient and does not require needle pricks. In reality, though, the Exubera inhaler is bulky and can be hard to use, doctors say. The device is nearly as large as a tennis ball can when it is open, and must be repeatedly pumped before the insulin can be inhaled. Making matters worse, Exubera doses differ from those for standard insulin, and converting doses can be complicated, the doctors say. Also, insurers have been reluctant to pay for Exubera, which costs about $5 a day, compared with $2 to $3 a day for injectable insulin. In addition, the needles now used for conventional insulin injections are smaller and less painful than they once were. “Out of 2,000 times or more I’ve tried to start patients on insulin, I’ve only been turned down twice,” said Dr. John Buse, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina.



Marketing 101: Ensure your product is easy to use and understand as compared to the competition. I'm not sure why Pfizer thought that the use of the product would not be an issue for diabetics who currently self inject. Then there is the use of consumer generated media. One person has stared a campaign via the Internet to warn people that inhaled insulin can damage lungs. Pfizer’s clinical trials show that the drug causes lung function to drop in some patients. Again Marketing 101: patients view side effects and make trade offs for product conveniences. Unfortunately Exubera doesn't seem to have advantages over injected insulin.

So now Pfizer is taking their message directly to consumers. Not a good move in my opinion. Physicians don't have the time to work with patients to explain treatment options or how to use prescription drugs. For patients who are used to small, less painful needles the answer might be to just keep on "doing what works" instead of using a new product that requires them to change their lifestyle.

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