Posted on 02/04/2015 8:31:54 AM PST by MAD-AS-HELL
Hoping to appeal to millions of needle-phobic Americans with diabetes, drugmakers Sanofi and Mannkind have just launched Afrezza, an insulin that's inhaled, rather than injected.
Afrezza was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last June for patients with either Type 1 or 2 diabetes, to be used along with other medicines, diet and exercise.
Paris-based Sanofi SA, a major player in the huge diabetes treatment market, then licensed Afrezza's worldwide marketing rights from Mannkind Corp. of Valencia, California, which developed Afrezza.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Forgot to mention that liberals can use it too! :)
Yahoo God I hate taking four shots a day.
It just is hitting the market so many docs haven’t yet been educated on it but the great thing about this meal time insulin is that it peaks in ~15 minutes. Watch this vid to get an idea of how it works via CGM graphs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHUZImm7-2I
Given that I'm the biggest coward...the biggest crybaby...on earth I don't see why most insulin users can't inject themselves.
LOL!
To prevent duplication, please do not alter the published headline, thx.
It’s not that simple. Many diabetics end up getting scar tissue and the absorption of insulin is critical. Critical meaning life and death. And that is where this new inhaled prandial insulin might make a huge difference because not only is it inhaled vs injection but it acts much faster than any other rapid acting injectable. If you ask a diabetic if he or she would rather have a meal time insulin peak at 15 mins or 90 mins, I think most who understand their disease would all say 15 mins. Add that Afrezza clears out quickly to so it minimizes hypos. Afrezza acts as if the diabetic has a normal pancreas. All diabetics still need to talk with their endo or GP about it.
At double to triple the cost of equivalent injections, probably very few insurance plans will cover it, and in particular probably NO obamacare exchange plans will cover it. Most obamacare exchange plans have terrible formularies.
Not true. It’s being covered by most insurance companies from what I have seen. Sanofi also offers a discount card for those who want to try it( www.afrezza.com). The cost is similar to pens as well. The treatment isn’t for everyone but from talking with a few diabetics that I know, it looks to offer something they never had before. Fast acting, discreet and no needles to deal with. Also no need to refrigerate it once opened.
I’m waiting for an inhaled version of the injectable ED drugs.
Talk about an unpleasant injection...
Haha. I have heard that it would work too fast and cause Blood pressure problems. Inhaled meds are on the way as the lungs are a great absorption pathway to get drugs quickly into the body.
How do you dial in how much to inhale based on what you're going to eat?
Not to pump a product. But I have been an investor in the company MannKind for about 1 year. Currently the product is only approved in the USA but eventually Sanofi will have approval for Europe, UK and eventually 120 nations worldwide. The stock has been beat up by shorts. There are 420 Million shares. with the Founder of the company controlling about 55% of the shares. Institutional investors have about 23% of the shares with 22% controlled by folks like me an individual investor. Of the 22% of the shares there is a short interest of 78,000 Shares. So they have kept the price down. It’s a battleground stock but at some time it will really pop if the Inhaled insulin product Afrezza sells. Then again it might not. But Afrezza and its delivery method the Technosphere inhaler is a DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLGY and this innovation will catch on with folks who want to have less needle sticks and able to control mealtime insulin.
The price range of the stock in the last 12 months has been about 3.25 - 11.00 But now the product was FDA approved June 28, 2014, MannKind Partnered with Sanofi on August 12, 2014. Set up the production and distribution channels with Sanofi with Sanofi paying them the initial partnership payment of 150,000,000 November 1, and then two milestone payments of 25,000,000 each since then. The official launch of the product occurred as this article stated on February 3rd.
It will help the new diabetic and type 2 diabetics avoid the needle (not eliminate) and keep their blood sugar in range especially around meal time. I am middle age and fit the target as pre-diabetic who is over 50,overweight and would avoid needles as long as I could. Doctors call this the lost decade. People between 45 & 60 who should be on medication but are avoiding the needle. These are the folks who eventually have to take insulin, but don’t and eventually suffer the consequences of diabetes. Loss of limbs, Kidney disease blindness and other serious complications.
I believe that Afrezza (MannKind) will sell and the founder of the company Al Mann has been behind many medical inventions and medicines. He was the person who developed the Insulin Pump and later sold it to Medtronic. He developed the Cochlear Ear implant. Google the name Al Mann and you will discover why this man is a genius.
The company also has many patents on their deliver device called Technosphere. So the future of other medicines being developed for delivery by Technosphere is there too.
Please do your own due diligence but investigate Mannkind and Afrezza. If you’re an investor always invest with your eyes open as you could win or lose. But if you’re a diabetic this product might really be a game changer with its unique delivery system Technosphere.
Good question that I can’t answer and where your ENDO or GP would be able to once they are educated on the drug. Sanofi is currently meeting with specific ENDO and GPs educating them on the drug etc. Currently, there is a 4U and 8U cartridge which will only work for certain diabetics who don’t need a big dose. Sanofi is working with the FDA on releasing a 12U cartridge hopefully later this year for those who need bigger doses. But again, something for any diabetic to at least investigate and speak with their doctor to see if it is something worth trying. I know many people look to the A1C readings but Afrezza appears to help smooth out those dreaded glucose peaks and valleys. Check out “afrezzauser” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHUZImm7-2I He’s a good source of info from an actual user who was also in the clinical trial. He is also on twitter with more info and pics of his GCM while on Afrezza for just one week.
Exactly, it is why I keep writing that any diabetic must check with their endo or GP to ask about this. It isn’t for everyone.
Given that I’m the biggest coward...the biggest crybaby...on earth I don’t see why most insulin users can’t inject themselves.
..
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Now take your 1 shot experience and apply it to my grandaughter diagnosed as type 1 at 9 years old.
6-8 fingerpricks a day to test sugar level
insulin shot at every meal
between meal shots for correction if sugars are high
1 shot of long lasting basal insulin twice a day to cover between meal shots.
..
..
thats 6-8 finger pricks
average of 5-8 insulin shots a day
*yes she injects herself*
.
7 days a week, 365 days a year .. she’s 9, there are infants diagnosed and parents have to follow the regimen to keep them out of the hospital and alive.
Actually many formularies already have it priced very reasonably. Tricare is one of them. $0.00 for active duty military and $17.00 for retired Military thru express scripts. Sanofi also has a discount plan if your Insurance carrier is not on the right formulary plan. The call it a Saving card with the first perscription being free.
So they will work hard to get acceptance from Patients,Doctors and insurance carriers.
Save on Your Afrezza® Prescriptions With a Patient Savings Card
https://www.afrezza.com/
With the Afrezza® Patient Savings Card, you pay $0 for your first prescription. After that you pay no more than $30 for each prescription refill, depending on your insurance coverage.
With each prescription you get 2 inhalers and a month’s supply of cartridges.
You can request your Savings Card here, activate one you received from your doctor, or request a replacement card.
YOu hit the nail on the head. Sanofi is also working with the FDA to start trials for those under 18 as the drug is only approved for those over 18. AFrezza doesn’t eliminate all finger sticks or basal insulin but like you said, no one likes to repetitively stick themselves if they don’t have to. I would think many diabetics would love to find a way to reduce their pricking and sticking.
Afrezza will help all type 1 and type 2 diabetics.
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