Avelestat, also known as AZD9668, is a novel, oral inhibitor of neutrophil elastase (NE), an enzyme implicated in the signs, symptoms, and disease progression in NE-driven respiratory diseases such as bronchiectasis, Cystic Fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease via its role in the inflammatory process, mucus overproduction, and lung tissue damage. Its development was discontinued due to unknown reasons. Nevertheless, this drug in the phase II of clinical trial as adjunctive therapy in improving insulin sensitivity of insulin-resistant type 2 diabetic subjects. The drug's clinical profile suggests that it will be well tolerated with few, if any, side effects, and the existence of simple methods that can indirectly measure its activity in vivo.