Systemic administration of a therapeutic preparation

A method of treating a patient in need of insulin treatment, comprising introducing into the lower respiratory tract of the patient, from a dry powder inhaler device, a dry powder pharmaceutical preparation the active ingredients of which consist of (a) insulin and (b) a bile salt which enhances the systemic absorption of insulin in the lower respiratory tract of said patient, provided that, at the point the preparation enters the respiratory tract of the patient, at least 50% of the total mass of active ingredients consists of particles having a diameter of about 10 microns or less, wherein the plasma pharmacokinetics of said insulin delivered by said method more closely resemble the plasma pharmacokinetics of endogenous insulin secreted by a healthy individual in response to a glucose challenge, than do the plasma pharmacokinetics of human insulin delivered by subcutaneous injection.

A method of treating a patient in need of insulin treatment, comprising introducing into the lower respiratory tract of said patient, from a dry powder inhaler device, an effective amount of a dry powder composition, the active compounds of which consist of (a) insulin and (b) a substance which enhances the absorption of insulin in the lower respiratory tract of said patient, provided that said substance is selected from the group consisting of a C.sub.8 -C.sub.16 fatty acid, a salt of such a fatty acid, a salt of glycyrrhizine acid, an acyl carnitine, a phospholipid, and an alkyl saccharide.