Investors are exiting MannKind (MNKD) stock in droves as the company takes over from Sanofi the marketing of Afrezza. Share price is down 80% over the past 52 weeks to well under $1. It’s currently at 70 cents. One glaring problem is that the company has had no success getting Afrezza listed on a more favorable tier by insurance companies, meaning patients have to pay more out of pocket for Afrezza. The company must find a way to increase prescriptions as capital becomes a serious issue. There seem to be many people who are doing very well with Afrezza (I couldn’t tolerate it), so hopefully the company can negotiate this minefield of issues and keep the product on the market.
That’s scary, but I hope they work out the issues. I don’t use Afrezza, but it’s been a terrific option for those that do! Hopefully someone will come to the rescue, or they’ll find a solution before it’s too late!
We need choices!
Well they were essentially victims of industrial sabotage with their sanofi parnership IMO-- and now they are having to redo all the things that they hired sanofi to do (which never actually got done). Like negotiate with insurers. They just took back over and seem committed to making it work. I’m not interested in discussing their stock price on this forum.
Even if I couldn’t get insurance coverage (which hasn’t been a problem for me at all, thankfully), I’d do absolutely whatever it takes to pay cash for it… With their discount card it becomes a very affordable medication even without insurance coverage.
It is a miracle drug. I would go so far to say second only to the invention of insulin itself in terms of advancements in diabetes technology. It has improved my life exponentially.
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Hello sam, quick question, just curious. how much could a months worth of afrezza cost you with a discount card over there in the usa/alaska? i know ydmv for everyone but its just curiosity, as i live in spain and ill probably never have the opportunity to use it!
would reduce it by $150/ box. A box lasts way more than a month typically… I don’t know anyone who actually uses three cartridges every day, particularly if they’re injecting bolus for some meals. The only time I’ve used that much is when on vacations.
So I’m not sure how it would work out there-- here I think that would reduce the cash price to around $150/ month maybe? If someone had no insurance. That’s $5/day? That’s a pretty low price to live a life not burdened by disease. I spend more than that on coffee.
wow, thats quite good. didnt think it would be so affordable. thanks for the info!
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Though you may not care to discuss it, Sam19, share price is relevant and probably the best indicator we have of the company’s chances for survival. Right now, they are not good.
I am so very sorry and concerned to hear all this, as I believe Afrezza is a unique medication, and is a very important element of the arsenal available to PWDs in their never-ending battle to keep diabetes at bay. If Afrezza goes away, this will indeed be a major loss…
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If that happened I would completely lose all faith in the system and just give up
While I can begin to understand where you’re coming from Sam, please never “just give up.”
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It is troubling to read this news. I’ve been using Afrezza for 18 months and it contributes a lot to my success. I currently only use it for corrections but it’s a great tool for me.
When Afrezza approached market distribution last year I thought it would be overwhelmingly embraced by both people with diabetes and doctors. I was wrong on both accounts and it’s troubling market performance again reminds me that my experience and values are not mainstream and I live in the skirts of most statistical bell curves when it comes to diabetes. That’s both good and bad.
I still hope that the fundamental value of Afrezza will shine through given enough time. Big Pharma is an 800 pound gorilla and tiny players like Mannkind often get crushed when they challenge the status quo. Al Mann is one of my diabetes heroes. Afrezza is one of the top five or six most important advancements in my 32 years with diabetes. It ranks right up there with insulin, modern insulin analogs, insulin pumps (hat-tip to Al Mann), fingerstick meters, CGMs, and carb-limited diets.
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I realize that I am probably preaching to quite a number of choir members when I say the following:
Regarding Afrezza, Mannkind clearly got screwed over by Sanofi.
I can’t help but believe that this was a pre-meditated plan on the part of Sanofi.
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Absolutely. And I’m absolutely just as sure that they’ll completely get away with it. They’ve lost my business forever, I’m sure that’ll really sting them.
Are we ready to accept that this is the reality of the world? That an innovator can no longer successfully bring a tremendously improved pharmaceutical to market which could vastly improve the lives of millions— just because big pharma is so strongly positioned to put the squeeze on them? All the way from the approval processes, to forcing them into a partnership for distribution and manufacturing (and then not delivering) to squeezing insurance providers to not cover… Or at least to “prefer” their 1990 technology instead?
I’m a person who perceives very few legitimate injustices in the world as I know it— but this flat out pi$$es me off.
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With the recent epinepherine cost scandal, perhaps the best answer our community can give to the Sanofi’s of the world is to advocate for some rational price limits that rein in their insatiable avarice. This is a frankenstein that the US economic system created. Does the economy serve us or do we serve the economy?
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While I don’t use Afrezza, the jury is clearly in—it’s a godsend for some people. The very last thing we need is to have choices taken off the table, especially good ones like this. In case no one has noticed, our medical system is broken, possibly beyond the point of repair.
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I still have some faith that it will work out as it should. People are using it, it’s working is phenomenally well for many of them and they, like me, are being very vocal about it. I think the mannkind company learned the hard way that they’re not part of the system-- they’re an outsider, and will have to play the game as one. It’s an uphill battle ahead of them, but I think they’ve made some strategy changes and brought in some key players to help make it happen— I think things may be looking up in the future.
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Lets be clear though, because the stock is down does not mean Afrezza is leaving the market, no one should think that. Mannkind has money into Q1 of next year with potential to extend that longer. They need script sales and the transition from Sanofi has not been easy. Insurance coverage has been a challenge, but this is slowly changing and the co-pay card certainly is helping people. Sanofi did not do that. There is also https://www.afrezza.com/hcp/afrezza-resources to help people make the transition to Afrezza which is very different from traditional insulins and takes a change of thinking. What would be the most disappointing is that someone reads this thread and assumes that trying Afrezza is not worth it, that would truly be a tragedy. I sincerely hope people are not miss-lead by Jim2 post. Good luck to all.
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Just to add, If someone is interested in trying Afrezza the time is now.
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You’re absolutely right!
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As excited as I was about this new delivery system. I am one year in not taking insulin yet. The other day I read about a promising new insulin pill. Seems like a better idea since Afreeza is off limits for smokers.
And all you diabetic smokers know who you are.