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 Resubmits New Drug Application to U.S. FDA for AFREZZA for the Treatment of Adults with Diabetes

10/14/13
PDF Version

VALENCIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 2013-- MannKind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD) today announced the resubmission on October 13, 2013 of a new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for the marketing and sale of AFREZZA® (insulin human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder with an indication to improve glycemic control in adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The resubmission is based on the entire data set from the extensive AFREZZA clinical development program and particularly the positive results from two recent Phase 3 trials, one in patients with type 1 diabetes (study 171) and one in patients with type 2 diabetes (study 175).

“We designed the recent studies with input and guidance from the FDA, and both achieved their primary efficacy endpoints and safety objectives,” said Alfred Mann, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MannKind Corporation. “I am very proud of our team for completing an extensive submission on a very ambitious schedule. We will continue to work with the FDA to bring AFREZZA to market for the millions of diabetes patients in the United States who might benefit from this novel product.”

About AFREZZA®

AFREZZA® (uh-FREZZ-uh) is a novel, ultra rapid-acting mealtime insulin therapy developed by MannKind Corporation to improve glycemic control in adult patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It is a drug-device combination product, consisting of AFREZZA Inhalation Powder delivered using a small, discreet and easy-to-use inhaler. Administered at the start of a meal, AFREZZA Inhalation Powder dissolves immediately upon inhalation to the deep lung and delivers insulin quickly to the bloodstream. Peak insulin levels are achieved within 12 to 15 minutes of administration, compared to 45-90 minutes for injected rapid acting insulin analogs and 90-150 minutes for injected regular human insulin.

About MannKind Corporation

MannKind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD) focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic products for patients with diseases such as diabetes. Its lead product candidate, AFREZZA®, has completed Phase 3 clinical trials. MannKind maintains a website at www.mannkindcorp.com to which MannKind regularly posts copies of its press releases as well as additional information about MannKind. Interested persons can subscribe on the MannKind website to e-mail alerts that are sent automatically when MannKind issues press releases, files its reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission or posts certain other information to the website.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements related to the results of clinical studies and the potential use of AFREZZA to improve glycemic control in diabetes patients, that involve risks and uncertainties. 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 our 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: the risk that the FDA may not accept the NDA for review, the risk that the FDA may disagree with our interpretation of our Phase 3 study results, the risk that the FDA may not approve the NDA for AFREZZA, the timing of regulatory review and decisions, our ability to manage our existing cash resources or raise additional cash resources, stock price volatility and other risks detailed in MannKind's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and periodic reports on Form 10-Q and 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 we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

Source: MannKind Corporation

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MannKind Corporation
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mpfeffer@mannkindcorp.com
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