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INDIANAPOLIS, March 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced the termination of development of its AIR(R) Insulin program, which was being conducted in partnership with Alkermes, Inc. The program has been in phase III clinical development as a potential treatment for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The company noted that this decision is not a result of any observations during AIR Insulin trials relating to the safety of the product, but rather was a result of increasing uncertainties in the regulatory environment, and a thorough evaluation of the evolving commercial and clinical potential of the product compared to existing medical therapies.
"This decision, though difficult, is the right one to make at this time," commented John Lechleiter, Ph.D., Lilly president and chief operating officer. "Over the past several months we have conducted a thorough review of all aspects of our efforts to develop our AIR Insulin product and have now made the decision that it would be inappropriate for the company to continue development activities in connection with this project. Without the prospect of a new drug application, keeping the patient foremost in mind, it would not be consistent with our medical principles to continue the clinical trials. As a result, we are now beginning the process of halting our ongoing clinical studies and transitioning the AIR Insulin patients in these studies to other appropriate therapies. We wish to reassure patients currently receiving AIR Insulin in our ongoing clinical trials that they should have no health or safety concerns about continuing to use AIR Insulin during their transition to other well-established diabetes therapies."
Steven M. Paul, M.D., executive vice p
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