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Pfizer dumps Exubera

Nature Biotechnology volume 25, pages 1331–1332 (2007)Cite this article

Developing Exubera (recombinant human insulin with particle diameters between 1 and 5 mm) was a massive technical achievement, involving the stabilization of the insulin molecule to make it bioavailable in the dry powder form. It was the first insulin product that did not need to be injected, so when it was approved in January 2006, there were high expectations: analysts estimated annual sales to be from $1 billion to $4 billion, and Nektar envisioned years of royalties. But the product had sales of just $12 million for the first 9 months of 2007, and it cost Pfizer $2.8 billion in pretax charges to walk away—which is rarely done when a drug has no safety or efficacy issues.

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  1. Columbia, South Carolina

    George S. Mack

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Mack, G. Pfizer dumps Exubera. Nat Biotechnol 25, 1331–1332 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1207-1331

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