In a recent clinical trial of adults with Type 1 diabetes, the inhaled insulin Afrezza delivered similar HbA1c reductions compared to usual care, including multiple daily injections and automated insulin delivery.
MannKind’s Afrezza was launched in 2015 as the first and only ultra rapid-acting inhaled insulin. Whereas most injectable rapid-acting insulins take about 15 to 20 minutes to start working, Afrezza starts lowering blood sugars in about 12 minutes, although its glucose-lowering effects also fade a lot quicker than traditional mealtime insulins.
Indeed, new research on Afrezza presented at the 2025 Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) conference showed that inhaled insulin delivered better reductions in HbA1c and post-meal blood sugar, compared to injected rapid-acting insulin in adults with Type 1 diabetes. However, although some participants showed improvements in HbA1c and time in range, others showed substantial worsening in glycaemic control.
“This therapy isn’t for everybody, but for many patients it was spectacular,” said Dr. Irl Hirsch, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine who worked on the clinical trial research.
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