|
|
|
|
||
From NASDAQ websitean article from the Motley Fool.
No. 2: MannKind
Source: MannKind. In late June the FDA announced that it had approved MannKind's inhaled diabetes drug Afrezza to improve glycemic control for type 1 and type 2 diabetics. It's certainly been a long time coming for MannKind considering that it had received a complete response letter in 2011 that sent the company back to the drawing board on its delivery device. Afrezza is also particularly intriguing because it could quickly improve patient convenience and quality of care since there's no needle involved as with a traditional insulin shot. Even more importantly, MannKind found a marketing partner in Sanofi , which provided MannKind with $150 million in upfront cash and fronted MannKind up to $175 million in expenses. The deal also puts an experienced pharmaceutical company behind the marketing of Afrezza. Set to launch in the first-quarter of 2015, Afrezza has a shot to be a blockbuster considering there are 29.1 million diabetes patients in the United States. But, will it sell? That's going to be the primary driver of MannKind next year. Afrezza's price is still very much up in the air, although it's widely believed to cost more than a traditional insulin shot. It remains to be seen whether diabetic patients will pay more for the convenience of not using a needle. Additionally, Afrezza's label comes with a warning against the use of the drug for patients with asthma, COPD, or who smoke. I'm curious to see how much this will adversely affect Afrezza's sales potential. Long story short, all eyes will be on MannKind's earnings reports in 2015. |
return to message board, top of board |