Exubera, marketed by Pfizer, delivers a short-acting dose of insulin through an inhaler and is normally taken before meals.

It is not expected to replace the longer-acting form of insulin that is injected by people with type 1 diabetes, which normally develops in childhood. In the much larger group with type 2 diabetes, which generally develops later in life, the inhaler is expected to replace the need for insulin injections — in part, if not in whole.

Clinical trials with Exubera have involved more than 3,500 adults with both types of diabetes. It has been shown to be as effective as injected insulin in maintaining control of blood sugar levels. The better the control, the less likely it is that complications from diabetes will appear, such as damage to the eyes and nerves, specialists believe.

A decision on licensing Exubera is also imminent in the United States, with the US Food and Drug Administration expected to follow the European example and give it its approval. The treatment is expected to generate sales that may eventually be worth £750 million a year.

Dr Kate Lloyd, the Medical Director of Pfizer Ltd, said: “Physicians face many challenges with insulin therapy, due in part to reluctance to take injections, which, up until now, was the only way to deliver insulin.”

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