MannKind Corp. of Valencia is exploring multiple partnerships to take its inhalable insulin drug Afrezza to market as the company awaits FDA approval. Chief Operating Officer Hakan Edstrom told analysts at the Goldman Sachs annual health care conference in Palos Verdes on Thursday that the company is in negotiations with several potential partners, many of them already in the market with diabetes treatments. Edstrom said the discussions included partnerships for North America only as well as global deals. The relationship could be structured in a number of ways, he said, including a royalty arrangement, profit sharing or a co-promotion deal. He said an announcement should be forthcoming in the next month and-a-half to two months. The FDA has a July 15 deadline to decide whether to approve Afrezza for sale. Several analysts expect approval but there is question about whether the drug may contain warnings due to possible effects on lung function. MannKind is working on other drugs, but has no on-the-ground sales team since Afrezza would be its first to market.
