Inhaled Insulin for Kids: Inside the INHALE-1 Trial — Taking Control Of Your Diabetes® - The Podcast!

In this episode of the TCOYD Podcast, Drs. Edelman and Pettus are joined by pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Jamie Wood, medical director of pediatric diabetes at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and an investigator on the INHALE-1 trial, to discuss inhaled insulin in children and its place in pediatric practice.

The conversation centers on the recent approval of Afrezza down to age six and what INHALE-1 actually demonstrated. Dr. Wood walks through the trial design, the A1C analysis, the FEV1 and pulmonary safety data, the weight and BMI findings, and the practical mechanics of dosing in a pediatric population. Rather than framing it as a replacement for injections or automated insulin delivery (AID), the discussion focuses on where this option fits, from the needle-averse newly diagnosed patient, to the teen trying to bolus discreetly during a 20-minute lunch period.

Drs. Edelman, Pettus, and Wood also get into the clinical realities that shape real-world use: the 2:1 to 3:1 conversion versus subcutaneous insulin, the set-dose cartridges and how they reframe carb counting, a refined titration approach, side effects, and how inhaled insulin can be layered alongside pumps and AID. For a population where mealtime bolusing remains one of the most stubborn unmet needs, it is a grounded look at a new tool and the patients it may help most.

Key Topics

The recent approval of inhaled insulin for children as young as six
How the INHALE-1 pediatric trial was designed
A1C results and what the primary endpoint analysis showed
Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) metrics across the two groups
Lung-function (FEV1) monitoring and pediatric safety
Weight and body mass index (BMI) findings
Why mealtime dosing is a leading unmet need in pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D)
The set-dose cartridge approach and how it reframes meal sizes
A real-world titration method for inhaled insulin
Managing cough and other practical considerations
Needle phobia and the kids who struggle most with injections
Using inhaled insulin alongside automated insulin delivery (AID) systems
What's coming next, including a smaller cartridge dose and a new-onset trial

This episode is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from MannKind Corporation.

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