MNKD Investors

Technosphere®

One of the largest organs in your body are the lungs. Picture the size of a full tennis court and that is roughly the surface area of both lungs in a typical adult.

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NTM Lung Disease on the Rise

“I cough every morning upon waking, so I don’t feel rested.” “Imagine not being able to breathe.” “Anxiety ruins everything about you – it’s not a normal life.” “You just exist from day to day and week to week.”

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What exactly is the Technosphere® Platform?

One of the largest organs in your body are the lungs. Picture the size of a full tennis court and that is roughly the surface area of both lungs in a typical adult. Running through those lungs are airways whose total length measures 1,500 miles – that’s the distance between Chicago and Las Vegas, New York to Albuquerque, and Los Angeles to Nashville.

Simply put, the lungs create a wonderful platform for effective drug delivery. MannKind’s Technosphere technology recognizes this and provides the distinct advantage of rapid, deep lung drug delivery. The effect is similar to intravenous delivery (I.V.; within a vein) and has the added benefit of bypassing the liver which can be especially helpful in reducing systemic side effects.

Examining it closer, it helps to look at inhalation, air flow travel, and the exhale. When you breathe in, air is drawn into the lung and flows down curving, narrowing airways that end in the air sacs or alveoli. When air is exhaled, the flow is reversed. Between the end of an inhalation and the start of exhalation, the air in the lung is stationary. To reach the deep lung, inhaled particles must be carried by the air stream and have enough momentum to continue through the stationary air to collide with the lung surface.

Particles that can reach the lung have aerodynamic diameters between 0.5 µm and 5-6 µm (1 µm is 1 micro-meter or about 0.00004 inches). Particles that are larger than 6 µm will leave the air stream and hit the back of your mouth and throat; smaller than 0.5 µm wouldn’t have the ability to reach the lungs and would simply get exhaled.

“The average Technosphere particle is about 2-2.5 µm which is in the middle of the respirable range,” explains Marshall Grant, PhD, MSc, Executive Director, Clinical Pharmacology & Research for MannKind Corporation. “The particle size distribution is a major reason Technosphere powders are highly efficient in delivering drug to the lungs than other dry powder inhalers (DPIs).”

The Technosphere particles in FDA-approved Afrezza® (insulin human) Inhalation Powder and Tyvaso DPI™ (treprostinil) Inhalation Powder are manufactured by different processes and possess different characteristics. But both are made up of small crystals of FDKP (fumaryl diketopiperazine), MannKind’s proprietary molecule. FDKP provides high solubility and fast dissolution at physiologic pH – and more importantly – can crystallize and form particles in the range appropriate for optimum delivery to the lungs.

When Technosphere powder reaches the lung surface, the FDKP and drug dissolve. The FDKP is then rapidly cleared from the lung into systemic circulation. The FDKP is not metabolized, but rather excreted primarily in the urine. Another value of Technosphere powders has been their versatility – they are compatible with a wide range of doses with different types of drugs.

MannKind’s Technosphere powders are delivered into the lung’s airstream via an inhalation device or DPI (dry powder inhaler). The breath-powered inhalers (Dreamboat® being the most common version) provide excellent delivery efficiency and are proven to deliver up to 70% of the dry-powder dose deep into the lungs. Our DPI are designed to be simple, easy to use and discreet. For patients, imagine having a drug in the convenient form of an inhaler that fits in the palm of your hand. This approach allows patients to not only take control of their health but do it while going about their day and enjoying life more humann.

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NTM Lung Disease on the Rise

“I cough every morning upon waking, so I don’t feel rested.” “Imagine not being able to breathe.” “Anxiety ruins everything about you – it’s not a normal life.” “You just exist from day to day and week to week.” These are a sampling of comments about the most bothersome symptoms from living with Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) shared in a study from NTM Info & Research, Inc. The statements are unfortunately typical and those with NTM often have unpredictable day-to-day health functioning and reduced quality of life.

NTM lung disease is a serious infection that is caused by bacteria that are common in the environment and can cause lung damage. The reality is that we are all exposed to these bacteria in our day-to-day lives – more than 120 species of mycobacteria have been identified. These common bacteria exist in water and soil particles that are in the air, wet places like hot tubs, steamy bathrooms, dishwashers, and even the dewy ground we walk on at the park. But not everyone is at risk of getting NTM lung disease just because they are exposed.

Those predisposed often have underlying conditions such as asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis, which makes them prone to NTM infection. NTM is not considered to be contagious. Women over the age of 65 make up the majority of those impacted, with a predominance in those of Caucasian and Asian descent.

A rare disease, NTM can often be difficult to diagnose. Many will experience coughing, fatigue, weight loss and shortness of breath – all of which are common with other lung disease symptoms and other conditions like tuberculosis. With NTM, symptoms often worsen, and that is a marker not to be ignored.

It is estimated that some 86,000 individuals are living with NTM lung diseases, and it is on the rise growing 8% each year. Coastal regions including Gulf States have higher rates of infection accounting for 70% of annual NTM cases.

While no cure is available, treatments to manage NTM are available. Treatment for NTM involves antibiotic and multidrug regimens with duration lasting from months to years with tolerability and adverse reactions to treatment which often leads to a lack of adherence to therapy.

There is a valuable need to develop medicines that are well tolerated and effective that lends to consistent patient use and alleviates symptoms of NTM lung disease. MannKind continues to progress MNKD-101 (Clofazimine) for the treatment of NTM.

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Release Details

Mannkind and United Therapeutics Reach a Milestone in the Development of Tyvaso DPI™ With New Drug Application Submitted to the FDA

04/19/21
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Following Afrezza®, Tyvaso DPI is the second compound formulated with Technosphere® technology to be reviewed by FDA

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. and DANBURY, Conn., April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MannKind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD) and United Therapeutics (Nasdaq: UTHR) reached a milestone today in the development of Tyvaso DPI™ as United Therapeutics submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The NDA submitted today by United Therapeutics builds upon a drug master file previously submitted by MannKind,” said Michael Castagna, CEO of MannKind Corporation. “We are excited to see the second compound formulated with our technology complete a rigorous clinical development program. If approved by the FDA, Tyvaso DPI is expected to provide a major advancement in the delivery of inhaled treprostinil for PAH and PH-ILD patients.”

MannKind and United Therapeutics entered into a worldwide exclusive licensing and collaboration agreement in September 2018 for the development and commercialization of Tyvaso DPI, a dry powder formulation of treprostinil, delivered via a small, portable dry powder inhaler. Tyvaso DPI incorporates the dry powder formulation technology and Dreamboat® inhalation device technology used in MannKind’s Afrezza® (insulin human) Inhalation Powder, which was approved by the FDA in 2014.

Tyvaso DPI, if approved, is expected to provide a convenient choice of inhaled administration for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). There are approximately 45,000 treated PAH patients in the U.S. and United Therapeutics estimates at least 30,000 treatable PH-ILD patients in the U.S.

United Therapeutics has applied a priority review voucher to the NDA that could provide for an FDA decision by December 2021. The FDA must first accept the application for review and issue a formal decision date in accordance with the Prescription Drug User Fee Act.

MannKind and United Therapeutics are also developing BluHale®, a Bluetooth-connected accessory for the Tyvaso DPI inhaler with a companion mobile application intended to help the patient track information about inhaler use.

Tyvaso DPI is an investigational therapy that is not approved for any use in any country or indication and the Tyvaso DPI tradename is pending final FDA review.

About MannKind Corporation

MannKind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD) focuses on the development and commercialization of inhaled therapeutic products for patients with endocrine and orphan lung diseases. MannKind is currently commercializing Afrezza® (insulin human) Inhalation Powder, the Company’s first FDA-approved product and the only inhaled ultra-rapid-acting mealtime insulin in the United States, where it is available by prescription in Brazil, where it is commercialized by the Company’s partner, Biomm SA. MannKind was established in 1991, and is headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif. with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility based in Danbury, Conn. The Company also employs field sales and medical representatives across the U.S. Please visit mannkindcorp.com to learn more.

Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding MannKind’s expected use of proceeds from the offering. Words such as “believes”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intend”, “will”, “goal”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon MannKind’s current expectations. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, uncertainties regarding the regulatory approval process, and other risks detailed in MannKind’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and MannKind undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

TYVASO is a registered trademark of United Therapeutics Corporation.

TYVASO DPI is a trademark of United Therapeutics Corporation.

AFREZZA, BLUHALE, TECHNOSPHERE and DREAMBOAT are registered trademarks of MannKind Corporation.

CONTACTS:

For MannKind: For United Therapeutics:
Christie Iacangelo, Corporate Communications Dewey Steadman, Investor Relations
(818) 292-3500 (202) 919-4097
Email: media@mannkindcorp.com Email: ir@unither.com

Rose Alinaya, Investor Relations
(818) 661-5000
Email: ir@mannkindcorp.com


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Source: MannKind