SPOTLIGHT: Exubera pain grows worse

The pain of dismal Exubera sales [1] is spreading. West Pharmaceutical Services, which makes 60 percent of the inhaler used to deliver the insulin spray, told the Securities and Exchange Commission that it's cutting production in response to lower-than-expected turnover. The highly anticipated Pfizer product only sold $4 million worth during the second quarter. "We expect Pfizer's high inventory levels and slower-than-expected demand [2] will affect our fourth-quarter 2007 and full-year 2008 sales," according to documents filed with the SEC. The filing goes on to state that West has cut production of the inhaler to one shift per day.  Report [3]