Moving on to greener pastures.
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Mike I agree with you on RiteAid. The folks on that board don't get it. I posted this today on the RAD board.
4600 stores with good cash flow I would bet that several suitors are waiting. Maybe even Amazon who has made it known they want into the Pharma business.
Rite Aid has millions of customers already in their system and with established Insurance coverage being either private or Medicare / Medicaid. Having established insurance relationships and a very viable PBM set up.
Why would Amazon not want to buy Rite Aid? You tell me. They can fix the problems with the cash flow from operations. It would not be a money drain for Amazon. They could establish their Amazon Go stores in the Rite Aid stores in urban areas.
They currently have a relationship with drop boxes in either Walgreens or CVS with Federal express for packages. They can move that relationship to their Rite Aid stores.
No current conflict with FTC as Amazon is not in the Pharma business yet. Do you think they would have problems like Rite Aid has had at the FDA for this deal with Walgreens
What would the street reaction be to a Amazon deal with Rite Aid? Walgreens and CVS stock would drop 25%. Walmart would not be happy about the deal. It hurts Costco too.
Other buyers than Amazon? You bet. Perhaps Cerabus or Apollo management, KKR or perhaps even Kroger? Maybe even somebody from overseas.
Even Warren Buffet who has never purchased a distressed company might play with Rite Aid. It would be a cheap turn around opportunity.
We all go shopping at the pharmacy as they are like a mini market with things we need to buy conveniently.
Last point is why is it different today than 24 months ago when the original deal with WBA was put together. The answer is retail has changed. It's changed big with big disrupters like Amazon who will cream the crap out of the existing players in the Pharma space. The RISK/REWARD factor has changed and its makes Rite Aid a very attractive turn around target.
4600 stores with good cash flow I would bet that several suitors are waiting. Maybe even Amazon who has made it known they want into the Pharma business.
Rite Aid has millions of customers already in their system and with established Insurance coverage being either private or Medicare / Medicaid. Having established insurance relationships and a very viable PBM set up.
Why would Amazon not want to buy Rite Aid? You tell me. They can fix the problems with the cash flow from operations. It would not be a money drain for Amazon. They could establish their Amazon Go stores in the Rite Aid stores in urban areas.
They currently have a relationship with drop boxes in either Walgreens or CVS with Federal express for packages. They can move that relationship to their Rite Aid stores.
No current conflict with FTC as Amazon is not in the Pharma business yet. Do you think they would have problems like Rite Aid has had at the FDA for this deal with Walgreens
What would the street reaction be to a Amazon deal with Rite Aid? Walgreens and CVS stock would drop 25%. Walmart would not be happy about the deal. It hurts Costco too.
Other buyers than Amazon? You bet. Perhaps Cerabus or Apollo management, KKR or perhaps even Kroger? Maybe even somebody from overseas.
Even Warren Buffet who has never purchased a distressed company might play with Rite Aid. It would be a cheap turn around opportunity.
We all go shopping at the pharmacy as they are like a mini market with things we need to buy conveniently.
Last point is why is it different today than 24 months ago when the original deal with WBA was put together. The answer is retail has changed. It's changed big with big disrupters like Amazon who will cream the crap out of the existing players in the Pharma space. The RISK/REWARD factor has changed and its makes Rite Aid a very attractive turn around target.
The trend will definitely be positive. All of this negativity that you read about on this board will go away as negative trends or not forever.
They are not going bankrupt.
They do have a lot of debt. But it's manageable debt. The board will have to put in place a new management team if the Walgreens deal does not go through. The opportunity to have another deal come forward within six months is huge. When you look at the fact right aid has over 60% institutional holdings. We will not have any problems moving forward. 4600 stores creates lots of cash flow for some buyer to purchase this company and be very successful with a new management team. Everybody shops at drugstores. Just think if Amazon purchased Rite aid they would be disruptive to the legacy players in the marketplace. Stop spreading gloom and doom the future will be OK for shareholders in Rite Aid. Buying shares at today's price of $3.12 is a steel when you consider the upside in 6 to 12 months.
Buying Rite Aid would not be a problem because the stores have great cash flow in sales. Amazon could immediately at their GO concept to the urban store locations and really turn this around fast
Because Amazon currently is not in the pharmacy business they would be a new entry the FTC would have a tough time stopping them from entering the business.
Can you imagine how disruptive Amazon would be to Walgreens, Walmart, CVS Caremark, and others who are in the business. You know that Amazon behind the scenes is hoping for the Rite Aid deal to break up.
There are other potential suitors out there. Think about Apollo global management , Cerabus capital, KKR,
Perhaps somebody from overseas might be interested. Ultimately even with it being a poorly run company warren Buffett is smart enough to buy a cheap clean it up, and make it a winner. Normally Berkshire does not buy distressed properties but he is smart enough to see the value of how the market has consolidated and will use it is a play to lure in Amazon.
You are wrong regarding no buyout. There is blood in the water and there will be plenty of suitors if Walgreens goes away. The best shooter will be Amazon. They will be a disruptor to the entire pharmacy market. Picking up right aid customers by the millions along with their mail order PBM system.
Now Amazon needs to focus on Pharma. If the FTC denies the Walgreens/Rite Aid purchase I would look for Amazon to strike pretty fast within six months. Rite Aid would be a great addition to this concept of lite bricks and mortar. While the ultimate goal for Amazon is not to be in the real estate business you have to be there to be in the Pharma business as people need prescriptions immediately in 50% of the prescription orders. The rest of them can be satisfied by mail order. Amazon ones in the PBM business because there are hundreds of millions of dollars available to service.
Purchasing Rite Aid makes great sense when you consider that they all ready service millions of Americans on a daily basis. These are instant cash paying customers who can help them build the largest pharmacy network in the world. So paying $10 a share for a ride aid would be a bargain entry point for Amazon.
For that investment they get a open running PBM and cash flow from the retail stores. They would not have to divest any locations since there would be no conflict of interest for the FTC to get upset about.
Again they would play the disrupter like they have to the grocery market with whole foods. Walgreens, target, CVS Caremark, Walmart, would be behind the eight ball with an Amazon pharmacy entry by purchasing Rite Aid.
I am long Rite aid and personally would love to see the deal with Walgreens get denied by the federal trade commission since it would open the door for Amazon to swoop in and buy the company.
I believe that this company is going to take over the world and Jeff Bazos can't be denied at this time. He knows the right timing to make deals.
Nobody knows if the buyout will go through or not. My guess is that if the deal is dead. There will be another suitor down the road and will pay more and not have the problems at Walgreens had you getting FTC approval.
Some activist investor like Cerberus capital will see the value and make a play for Rite Aid.
http://www.cerberuscapital.com/investment-strategies/distressed-securities-and-assets/
If the deal breaks apart there will be something positive within 12 months.
Some activists is out there licking their chops getting ready for the kill.
That news is FUD. Capital forum need to release the information as it looks like they manipulated the market.
$MZOR is the Mazor X a viable product or not? Read this article.
This doctor believes in the product he has done 200 procedures with it.
http://www.waltonsun.com/news/20170608/poelstra-completes-200-robot-assisted-surgeries
I bet they ask that question at the Jefferies program on Friday morning.
Not sure who sold today. There were only a total of 15 blocks over 5,000 shares traded. Or another way to look at it. 5 blocks over 10,000 shares.
Big institutional traders normally buy or sell in blocks over 5,000 share or for that matter 10,000 shares.
It seems from my retailer trader holder view that the sellers were us retail holders. Do I know of course not. But I think long term that Mazer will be ok. The only thing that would hurt Major is if their deal with Medtronic's blew up. We see no indication that has happened.
I am looking long term and hopefully Mazer will be a big winner PPS with Medtronic's investment and sales force.
Good looking picture. If you know anything about diabetes you would know that one of the folks in the picture is Aaron Kowalik who is the head of JDRF and is a Afrezza user for over two years. Aaron is also a marathon runner and great advocate of the product.
Every drug has a black box warning. It means nothing. Go read the black box material on other diabetes drugs or any drug that you see advertised.
Some folks like spreading manure have at it.
Now that would be exciting if the new FTC removes some of the requirement to sell some of the stores.
I should have it at $3.45. But didn't. I guess we will see what happens. Sitting on 13,000 shares with an avg about 4.90. So I should avg down again.
Personally I think the deal does get approved. But if it does not there were will another deal within 12 months. Perhaps easy to for Amazon to get into the drug business with their RAD PBM already set up and doing well. The retail stores would be a bonus for them to put their new AmazonGo concept in them. Perhaps the locations would not be Urban enough for Amazon. They are looking for very high traffic walk in stores in metro areas but you never know.
I think the strike price will be higher than that perhaps not much but Sprint controls a lot of valuable spectrum.
Will they be able to get regulators to approve the merger? Sprint fought very hard against ATT taking over T-Mobile. Now 5 years later here we are again.
The merger would not be good for competition but than again Sprint and T-mobile are weak sisters to the big two and are unable to compete against them.
Do you think they'll be a merger with T-Mobile? Seems like there is blood in the water. What do you think the strike price will be?
You didn't read the document.
It has nothing to do with MannKind.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/318154/999999999717006565/filename1.pdf
Amgen Inc. submitted an application under Rule 24b-2 requesting an extension of
a previous grant of confidential treatment for information it excluded from the Exhibits to
a Form 10-Q filed on May 8, 2012 and Form 10-K filed on February 19, 2015.
TCOYD Conference & Health Fair - Overland Park, KS
June 03, 2017
https://tcoyd.org/conference-health-fair/detail/overland-park-ks-2017-06-03/
MEET OUR FEARLESS LEADER
AND FELLOW PWD*!
DR. STEVEN EDELMAN
One Small Step for Man, One Huge Inhalation for People with Diabetes
Yes that Dr. Steven Edelman who is an Afrezza User.
9:10 am Diabetes on the Offensive:
Getting Educated, Motivated and Empowered
Steven V. Edelman, MD
11:30 am Mid-Morning Session
Golden
Rules for Type 1s: Tips for Living Well with Diabetes
Jeremy Pettus, MD; Steven V. Edelman, MD; Kerri Sparling;
and Amelia Cooper
Dr. Pettus is also a person who prescribes Afrezza.
3:30 pm Afternoon Workshops B - Select One
An In-Depth Look at Type 2 Treatments,
Including
Insulin Options
Gar
y Graf, ARNP-C
Patients vs. Providers: Why Are We at Odds
about Medi
cations?
Steven V. Edelman, MD, and William Polonsky, PhD, CDE
Director
*Steven V. Edelman, MD, Endocrinologist,
Founder & Director TCOYD,
Clinical Professor of Medicine,
UCSD School of Medicine,
VA Medical Center San Diego
Type 1 Track Co-Director
*Jeremy Pettus, MD, Endocrinologist,
Assistant Professor of Medicine,
UCSD School of Medicine
Hypi,
I agree with you and this plays into my posting several weeks ago.
#23517 If it didn't happen in April it sure
If it didn't happen in April it sure happened last week on the day that 32% of the shares were traded. I would assume that somebody new now owns at least 10% of the company and will have to come forward by next week and file a 13D or 13G document with the SEC. nothing was filed
Perhaps it was a friendly party who purchased the shares last week. Maybe management knew that was going to happen but couldn't comment Let the buyer get 10% or more of the company for a bargain so that it makes their future capital infusion easier as they will then already own 10% or more of the company at a good PPS. Would prefer a buy in/with new partner having international distribution rights and MannKind keeping domestic rights
Making it easier to buy more of MannKind later at a higher price by a tender offer. makes a deal easier
The reporting is required within 10 days. I do not know if that is business day or calendar days. If calendar days that would be either Saturday or Sunday.
would have been May 22nd
The potential buyer could also have a deal with the Mann Foundation to purchase their shares at a much higher price in the future. The Foundation does not want to cut and run and probably has not yet done so. Their goal is to see the company survive and Al's legacy of Afrezza change lives.
So with that in mind the potential suitor makes the investment into the company with MannKind having to do any further dilution.
I did not attend the meeting today. I was there last year. We had a very open question and answer period. The allow all the questions or statements to be asked that shareholder presented.
I learned from a person in attendance today. That Matt limited his comments. That they did not allow a question and answer period with most thought was strange. My GUESS is that they limited or eliminated that Q & A as they didn't want any questions to be asked that might have be related to the share actions of the last 10 trading days.
Since I'm only an investor it makes me wonder what is really going on as management has always been pretty open by either email or in person.
Now this posting was made right after the shareholders meeting. But you have to wonder why there was never a 13 D or G filed. I have heard that the penalty for late filing is not big or sometimes waived? But who knows if that is true.
The 2nd point is that there were on Q & A allowed at the shareholders meeting and if you recall the conference call at the beginning of May there were only read questions and no Q & A calls taken.
Since we are all just retail shareholders we will all learn about what is up when notices are filed like this morning. I would guess that we will see an SEC noticed filed at the end of today for the Matt P. and Mike C. changes.
Good luck to all of us MannKind shareholders who believe the TREND is going to be positive.
Michael Castagna appointed Chief Executive Officer and Member of MannKind Board of Directors
http://investors.mannkindcorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1028218
VALENCIA, Calif., May 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) (TASE:MNKD) announced today that its Board of Directors appointed Michael Castagna, Pharm.D., as Chief Executive Officer effective May 25, 2017. Dr. Castagna replaced Matthew Pfeffer, who served as both CEO and Chief Financial Officer since January 2016 and as CFO from 2008 to 2016. To facilitate an orderly transition, Mr. Pfeffer will continue with the company in an advisory capacity until the end of July 2017.
In addition, on May 25, 2017, Dr. Castagna was appointed to the board of directors of MannKind.
Kent Kresa, Chairman of the Board, said, "The Board is extremely grateful to Matt for his committed service to the company over the past nine years. Matt successfully set the foundation for the company during its transition into a commercial entity and effectively prepared Michael to be his successor." Mr. Kresa continued, "Michael demonstrated deep commercial expertise in his prior role as MannKind's Chief Commercial Officer as he built the capabilities from the bottom-up necessary to position Afrezza and the company for future growth. Under Michael's leadership, new prescriptions of Afrezza have shown a steady increase since the MannKind launch and future prospects for this innovative product are strong. The Board is excited to move forward under Michael's leadership."
Dr. Castagna said, "I am honored to lead MannKind into its next phase of growth. Our inhaled insulin, Afrezza, is a truly differentiated brand that will help millions of people suffering from diabetes. Our relentless focus on empowering people to conquer the daily struggle of managing their diabetes will set MannKind apart."
Rose Alinaya, currently the company's Senior Vice President and Principal Accounting Officer, will take over the role of Acting Chief Financial Officer until a permanent CFO is named.
Dr. Castagna said, "I am happy to have Rose in this position as I will benefit greatly from her 14 years of experience with MannKind. She will be a key asset for me as I take on my new role."
About MannKind Corporation
MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) (TASE:MNKD) focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic products for patients with diseases such as diabetes. MannKind maintains a website at http://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.
Company Contact:
Rose Alinaya
Acting Chief Financial Officer
661-775-5300
ralinaya@mannkindcorp.com
Stay tuned.
Yep already filed it out and returned it to my broker.
Yes that would be the same KC
They are day traders working to pennies and grind the sausage for the ups and downs. I can be patient and either wait for this deal to happen or the next one with potentially amazon.
Hopefully that will be the difference with the product that Chek is developing.
I guess that it might be a positive TREND vs the same old worn out negative TREND we have gotten use too. Sometimes it take a couple of years in the Pharma business to get the marketing down right and reverse the TREAD.
Lets see where we are 30 days from now and then again in the 3rd or 4th quarter.
Maybe by then we will be TRENDSETTERS for a paradigm shift for diabetes treatment.
Look at their board of directors and you will see a guy who was with Given imaging (pillcam) that sold out another company and that guy is also on the board of Mazor.
GE is involved too.
Given sold out to Covidien which then sold to MDT. The Former CEO regrets selling. great article to read.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/pillcams-inventor-regrets-sale-of-biblical-tech-to-foreign-firm/
Given Imaging, the company formed to develop and sell the Pillcam, was a very Israeli firm. “Too bad it no longer is,” said Iddan, commenting on the company’s 2013 exit, when Irish medical device maker Covidien paid $860 million
HYPI SAID:
"No comment on the move from .66 to $1.88? What caused that move? Oh yeah just more suckers buying in? It traded 32 million shares in day which was 10X its normal volume. Somebody knows whats going on behind the scenes. That wasn't individual investors. Institutional investors getting on board or at least a partner before a major announcement."
Yep.... It just a matter of time before we hear who was involved two weeks ago when we had 32 Million shares traded on Wed May 10, 2017. My guess is that we will see the Sec 13D or 13G one day SHORTLY
the TREND GOING forward will be a positive one VS the Negative one we have seen in the past.
Martin, It's just a matter of time before a Sec 13D or 13G is filed for the crazy trading we had two weeks ago. By my calendar it should have been today or Tuesday. I guess we will see what happens.
In time the MannKind Paradigm shift will be came a very positive TREND vs. that "Negative" TREND that we have grown accustomed too.
We will see SHORTLY that TREND reversal.
If you read this article carefully you will see why MannKind has focused there re-launch and future advertising campaign to empower people with diabetes.
Diabetic patients are no longer passive participants to seeing their lives improved. They now search out and seek ways to make living with type one and type two diabetes easier.
The big three insulin producers really don't do a lot to help the diabetic take charge of their own treatment.
MannKind with their revolutionary disruptive treatment product Afrezza it's just the paradigm shift that younger patients want.
Don't count this company dead yet as I believe they are going down the right path. The information they rolled out at their annual shareholders meeting fits this story on a type one diabetes blog.
Read it,and see if you don't agree.
https://beyondtype1.org/how-to-engage-young-adults-with-type-1-diabetes-a-new-study/
HOW TO ENGAGE YOUNG ADULTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES: A NEW STUDY WRITTEN BY: Katie Doyle FacebookTwitterEmail
Type 1 diabetes affects the mental wellbeing of everyone living with it, and this can be particularly challenging for young people who are also learning the essential lessons of self-care for adulthood. A recent study by the National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway, indicated that there is “a lack of high-quality, well-designed interventions, aimed at improving health outcomes for young adults with Type 1 diabetes.” This study, called D1 now, is significant because, according to the researchers, it’s one of the first to examine “interventions,” or solutions, and the role they play in ensuring that young adults have the best possible outcomes in their independent diabetes management.
The Galway-based team, with a network of stakeholders across Ireland, the UK and beyond, found in the D1 now study that young adults are the driving force behind change in diabetes care and that healthcare providers need to change the way they work with young adults.
Since 2014, the D1 now researchers have worked with Galway University Hospitals to examine how young adults interact with their diabetes teams and how consistently they attend appointments to figure out ways to improve the diabetes management and overall health of these patients. Along the way, D1 now has also come up with new ways to engage with the Type 1 community.
The Strength in Numbers (SIN) Conference, held in June 2016, was a three-day international symposium targeting young adults and their engagement in their own diabetes management to result in better outcomes. A Young Adult Panel, a key part of the research, was consulted during the planning of the SIN conference and one of the highlights of the event: a Hackathon to brainstorm ways to use technology to support young adults with Type 1.
The Young Adult Panel offered opportunities for engagement with the local Type 1 community. Gertruda Ceburntyne, a 20-year-old Biomedical Science major in Galway and member of the Young Adult Panel, says, “Before I joined the Young Adult Panel, I didn’t know any fellow young people with diabetes. I felt like going to the diabetes clinic was like going into an exam. After meeting new people and hearing about what worries they have and how they cope with Type 1, it is much easier to go to an appointment with the diabetes clinic knowing that there are other people in a similar boat.”
Lisa Hynes, currently a postdoctoral researcher at West Virginia University, was part of the organizing team for the conference while working on the D1 now study. This event brought together stakeholders in the diabetes community to “give feedback on our work and produce [an intervention] to improve self-management among young adults with Type 1 diabetes in Galway,” Lisa says.
“Because young adults are experiencing so much change, they rely a lot on the support and information they get from diabetes service providers. Unfortunately, the diabetes clinic is a busy place, where young adults don’t always meet the same service provider. It seems to me that service providers really know what kind of service they would like to provide to young adults but they are limited because they are so busy and can struggle to get to know young adults during appointments.”
To find out more from a young adult who is at the receiving end of these visits, I posed a question to the Young Adult Panel: What should healthcare providers keep in mind when working with young adults with Type 1? Gertruda shares that empathy is critical. “First and foremost, they need to keep in mind that unless they themselves have Type 1 diabetes, they will never know how difficult it is, living with the illness. They need to put themselves in the shoes of a young adult with Type 1 and understand how much of an inconvenience it is to have this constant pressure to worry about your health.”
Aoife Gannon has had Type 1 for 15 years. Her response was that diabetes care teams need to connect with patients: “People with Type 1 aren’t computers or robots. They are people who genuinely want to get on with life. I think [healthcare professionals] need to brainstorm or generate ideas to help motivate people and understand where we’re coming from.”
Aoife also participated in the Hackathon, which she describes as “a gathering where programmers collaboratively code in an extreme manner over a short period of time. We were split into groups of twos [according to] age and topic” to come up with technology solutions to reach young adults with Type 1. The four fresh ideas included a Transition App to help ease the switch from pediatric to adult care; an Insulin, Pumps, Understanding and Management (IPSUM) app for patients and providers to share information; SnapD1, a Snapchat channel with motivating social media content; and DiaLog, an app for patients to connect and share their experiences with diabetes teams when connected to hospital wifi.
SnapD1 took home the prize for Best Pitch Award, and the results of the event were felt almost immediately among young adults with Type 1 who were involved. Cameron Keighron, a 22-year-old recent university graduate, describes the excitement he felt leading up to the SIN Conference: “It was the culmination of two years of our work. Young adults were going to be heard and listened to about their diabetes management. We were about to lead the way in diabetes research in Ireland for young adults [with Type 1].”
Afterward, Cameron says, “I felt invigorated, I felt that I could make a real difference to diabetes care and wanted to continue this. We had all put a lot of work into the previous two years and the conference being such a success was really rewarding.
I learned a lot about disseminating research as well as the importance of patient involvement. I learned about the importance of breaking down perceived barriers and reducing the amount of jargon used when trying to make a difference in the healthcare of Young Adults. I also improved my own public speaking and networking skills.”
Aoife left feeling that patients, as well as healthcare teams, need to think outside the box in terms of their own diabetes management. “We need to understand that if we open up to them, they can be our helpers. It is a difficult barrier to overcome.”
What are the next steps for the D1 now study? Lisa Hynes is hopeful about positive developments coming up: “We recently received funding from the Health Research Board in Ireland to move onto the next phase of the research. In this, we will roll out a pilot intervention that was developed during the work we’ve already completed, to find out if people will like it, if it’s possible to implement it in busy diabetes clinics, and if it can achieve the aim of improving young adult diabetes self-management. We are working with a fantastic team of collaborators from Ireland, the U.K., and beyond to complete this work, so who knows how far this can go?!”
Keep up with the D1Now project on Facebook and Twitter.
REFERENCES
HYNES, L., O’HARA, M.C., JORDAN, V., HUTCHINSON, O.C., O’DEA, F., BYRNE, M., & DINNEEN, S.F. (2016). STRENGTH IN NUMBERS HACKATHON: USING A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITY TO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS IN INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT. THE EUROPEAN HEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST, 18, 6, PP. 287-293.
MC O’ HARA, L HYNES, M O’DONNELL, N NERY, M BYRNE, SR HELLER AND SF DINNEEN, FOR THE IRISH TYPE 1 DIABETES YOUNG ADULT STUDY GROUP. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES: TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW INTERVENTION. DIABETIC MEDICINE, [EPUB AHEAD OF PRINT], 20 OCT 2016, DOI: 10.1111/DME.13276
O’HARA, M.C. “EXPERIENCES OF PATIENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH T1D: THE D1 NOW STUDY.” NUIG HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY BLOG. 14 NOVEMBER 2016.
Another view from an attendee of the shareholders meeting 5/18/2017
Tinkerbell:
In my view, the meeting's main message was to thank investors who've been long in the stock. The term, 'we will get there' was echoed more than once and by all who presented to the audience. This was not an 'announcement meeting' that many had perhaps hoped for. It was more than that. The real life stories which were shared by four Type 1 diabetics was poignant. That they also have a sincere interest in supporting Afrezza's success is as important to them as the air you and I breathe. Yes. They are determined. You should be glad for that. The singular message they shared which was fully embraced by those in the audience and I paraphrase: 'Afrezza cannot and will not disappear. We will do all in our power to make sure of that.' I believe it.
These Type 1 diabetics stand 'at the ready' to use their star power to reach out to diabetics and in a manner to honor and ensure Al Mann's legacy is protected from the inherent cancerous maladies of our healthcare system. Be assured, this has never been done before. It hasn't. The audience saw perhaps for the first time, that Afrezza will change the world for diabetics and for the better. My thoughts in a nutshell - if there is one - thank God for their earnest desire to help people who suffer with the same disease as they do.
Interestingly, one of the diabetics on stage mentioned that he was in the early stages of working on circumventing 'the system' we have in place today. He's experienced it and wants to see it improve for patients. No argument from the attendees on this point. I applaud his disruptive thinking which put me in mind of the American Revolution. If it's NOT working for you then organize with others to CHANGE IT. We'll have to see whether he succeeds or not. Too early to tell. In short, his lofty and noble idea includes drop shipping Afrezza on a subscription basis right to your door. Isn't stability at room temperature marvelous? Fluctuations in outside temps can be dealt with fairly easily. Ever ordered an Omaha Steak?
Following the meeting, what I learned from speaking to Matt, Mike and Ray were as follows and each confirms points I've made here before:
1) The exit of Sanofi was a disaster for the company and one of such proportions that the FALL OUT continues to this day amongst endocrinologists. Yes. The fall out from this action continues to this day. To. This. Day.
2) Those who were in charge for the drug development program at MannKind are no longer with the company. They completely missed the boat on the importance of titration of insulin. Do you wonder why the drop out in the clinical trials occurred as it did? You shouldn't. Mike has worked with Ray and manufacturing to address this issue. The new titration packs are now available for this important step in treatment with Afrezza.
3) In addition to the above, the 4 week study on clinicaltrials.gov mimics the information provided by the Type 1 diabetics on stage who saw real results in 4 weeks. You can surmise for yourselves how results of this study might play out amongst the providers of this historic insulin.
clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03143816?term=Technosphere+Insulin&rank=8
4) Another study is in the works not yet posted. Ray did not share the details but we already know that additional studies are being reviewed for submission. Pediatrics being one of them.
5) Matt is fully aware of the cash runway BUT he has three priorities he is focused on in the near term. Raising cash is not one of them at least not yesterday. You can surmise what that could mean. I suspect that if the three priorities he's currently working on come to fruition, obtaining cash won't be an issue which I've said on this board too. And to be clear, their cash runway in not dry as of yesterday's meeting. IT isn't. The DTC campaign will launch in July as it should. By then, endocrinologists will know full well that Afrezza is here to stay. Period. End of Quote. Let the disruption begin.
There you have it. Aside from the vote and the speakers, the audience was provided a sneak peek at the upcoming DTC campaign videos. Very effective and in my view, equally as disruptive as Afrezza is.
One statement from one of the type 1 diabetic speakers stood out to me and is with me today and I paraphrase:
'Being a diabetic is like being on a boat that is sinking. You've got a captain and the crew around you sure, but when the time comes, they get to jump ship and it's just you who's going down.'
Well said.
For me, the picture couldn't be any clearer so I remain tied to my shares and the belief that this drug will change the world of diabetes.
So now we must wait to see if all that's been put in place since last year by Matt, Mike and Ray and by Stuart and Jason this year will bear fruit. There is NO other option. We must be patient.
Read more: http://mnkd.proboards.com/thread/7837/asm-update?page=4#ixzz4hXmcUpLZ
Buffalo teacher a key advocate in breakthrough diabetes drug
http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/19/buffalo-teacher-key-advocate-breakthrough-diabetes-drug/
By Scott Scanlon
Published Fri, May 19, 2017
Eric Fenar is a Type 1 diabetic who exercises regularly, rigorously measures his blood sugar levels and takes other steps to stay healthy.
Still, he says, "In life, it's tough to eat tofu and salad and grilled chicken every day."
He likes Asian food, pizza and beer too much for that.
This is why Fenar has become one of the biggest volunteer pitchmen in the country for an inhalable insulin drug called Afrezza – a drug that has helped the 34-year-old Buffalo public school teacher reach the most stable blood glucose levels he's had since he was diagnosed at age 10.
There is a little bit of a learning curve," he said, "but now I have the power to fight those high blood sugars. Life is much more flexible."
Fenar discovered Afrezza during one of his routine online searches about better diabetes management. He testified at a 2014 federal Food and Drug Administration hearing to tout the promise of Afrezza for those like himself – before he'd even tried the drug. He met Al Mann, the creator, before the billionaire businessman died in February 2016.
Fenar grew up in Lancaster. He remembers the weekend he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, because he watched on a hospital television set on Oct. 23, 1993 as Joe Carter hit a home run to help the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series.
His diagnosis meant that his body produced no insulin to help him break down food. It also meant a lifetime of insulin injections and great sacrifices as he kept vigilant watch on his blood sugar levels – or so it seemed at the time.
"My family has always been up to date on the latest technologies," he said. "I was up to date on the shots for two years and mom read about insulin pump. Back then it was only for people 18 and over. At this point, I was about 12."
His mother, Susan, a nurse, convinced doctors and health insurers that Fenar was capable of using a pump to monitor his glucose levels and give himself insulin without dispensing a potentially fatal overdose.
Years later, he started to use a Dexcom, a bluetooth-compatible device that reads blood sugar without the need to do a finger-prick blood test. This allowed him to use his pump, or an injection, to push the correct amount of insulin into his bloodstream.
The challenge, Fenar said, is the lag time that comes with injectable insulin. It can take 45 minutes to an hour for the effect to take hold – causing damage from high blood sugar and running the risk of an insulin crash or overflow, particularly an hour or so before or after meals.
"The thing that got me is Afrezza starts to work in 12 to 15 minutes," he said.
Dr. Howard Lippes, a Williamsville endocrinologist, assistant clinical professor with the University at Buffalo medical school and owner of R&B Medical Group, prescribes the inhalable drug to about 15 to 20 percent of his Type 1 adult diabetic patients.
Some use it regularly, others intermittently "to correct high glucose," he said. "There are pros and cons. It's not better. It's different."
Lippes doesn't count Afrezza's inhalability as a big advantage, "given the ease of today's insulin pen devices, which are simple and painless," he said. But he and patients who use it appreciate the speed in which it can control blood sugar levels.
For example, those like Fenar who enjoy pizza. When someone without diabetes eats pizza, or other food or drink loaded with carbs, the pancreas starts making insulin right away to compensate for the spike in blood sugar, which can cause inflammation and damage the cardiovascular system.
"If you're diabetic and eat a meal, you've got to give the insulin a running start if you want to catch the blood sugar before it goes up," Lippes said. "The timing of the meal can be a bit daunting. The Afrezza works really quickly, so that is an advantage for some patients."
It also has a shorter "tail" than injectable insulins, leaving the bloodstream faster so the danger of a lingering low blood sugar reaction diminishes, the doctor said.
Lippes prescribes Afrezza almost exclusively for those with Type 1 diabetes. It costs about the same as injectable insulin and is covered by most health insurance plans, he said.
Those with a cough or cold may not want to use it, Lippes said, and it is not recommended for those with asthma or chronic lung diseases like COPD. Its use is discouraged by those who smoke, "not that any diabetic should do that," Lippes said.
A small percentage of patients who try Afrezza get a throat irritation or cough, though the majority of patients tolerate it well.
Despite its advantages, the inhalable drug has yet to reach a critical mass in the diabetes drug industry.
Mann ran 17 companies that helped improve pacemakers, cochlear implants and insulin pumps. He put $1 billion of his own money into Afrezza before he died, at age 90, and also was at work on developing an artificial retina.
Lippes blamed lagging Afrezza sales on the relative small size of the drug-making company, MannKind, as well as the first inhalable drug, Exubera, which Pfizer introduced more than a decade ago, then pulled from the market in 2007. In that case, the inhalation device was so big, it couldn't fit into a purse – and looked like something you'd use to smoke illegal drugs. It proved too cumbersome for most who tried it, Lippes said.
He described the Afrezza inhaler as "a little whistle device," which dispenses powdered insulin in 4-, 8- and 12-unit doses.
Fenar needs a basal insulin injection once a day, to keep his sugar levels stable while he sleeps. Otherwise, he has found reliability in the drug and delivery method he advocates.
"With Afrezza, I was able to get off my insulin pump," he said. "I used to carry what I called a diabetic man purse," with extra pump supplies and extra insulin. "Now, when I leave the house, I have a tenth of what I used to carry. I'm not connected to anything. And for my insulin needs, I take Afrezza.
"I want people to be aware of this option. This is what I needed: a faster insulin."
For Lippes, the drug represents one of several exciting new changes in diabetes treatment.
The next, he said, is the sensor augmented insulin pump. Medtronics Corp. – which recently hit the market with its variety, the 670G Pump – refers to it as "the artificial pancreas."
"It's not quite there yet," Lippes said, "but we're on the threshold of big changes with these new glucose sensor devices that can tell the insulin pump what to do in real time. … I have patients lined up to get it."
email: refresh@buffnews.com
Twitter: @BNrefresh, @ScottBScanlon
Hypi Some folks only TREND in the negative direction. They don't either understand that Bio stocks tend to be very bad until they become disruptive and take off. There is great risk and it's great that one can see that negative 98 or 99% loss TREND on MannKind since its beginning.
Agenda's are like the back side of a donkey they are have to play their game to scare investors away. Not sure why they do it but some of us who are wise and have invested for 0ver 40+ years realize that companies like MannKind are risky but eventually turn the corner and pay off.
Perhaps we might lose on some investments and that is ok as you can't win 100% and its the market where you can lose 100%.
Afrezza Inhaled Insulin is a disruptive product and will not be going away.
Just read the story of Eric Fenar who has been on Afrezza since Feb 2015 when it first came out. Eric also was in the Trials.
http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/19/buffalo-teacher-key-advocate-breakthrough-diabetes-drug/
The HFT guys are making bank playing the wild swings. they love it. I was watching blocks over 25,000 shares just being tossed around like you or I would buy 5,000 share blocks. Yesterday and all this week big blocks over 50K were being traded. Think about how much bank they make on a .05 swing or a .25 swing. They are grinding the sausage and making us retail investors nervous.
They know how to play the SWING TRADE market.
Nate Pile has followed MannKind for some time. Here is what a person who subscribes to Nate's Notes said about his recent letter.
Notes from Nates Notes May 2017:
Nate's May issue is out. He bought 5000 more shares in his Model and 100,000 more shares in his Agressive portfolios.
He again said MNKD is the most extreme example he has ever seen of an inefficient market. He compared MNKD to Celgene when he invested in them and it was a similar story, as Celegene brought them many years of heartache and misery before it took off, and then it soared to amazing heights.
Afrezza is truly superior to its competitors, and it is just a matter of time before it is the drug of choice among diabetics (T1, T2 and pre-diabetics as well). Anytime he has spoken with Matt and Mike, he has never gotten the sense that they are worried about running out of money. Nate says it will not be the end of the world if MNKD ends up selling more stock. He said he wants us to stop worrying about what even a massive 50% dilution would ultimately mean for your investment. But, there are plenty of other ways to raise money besides selling stock. There will always be people willing to put up capital for the opportunity to participate in such a great pharmaceutical product. A product that has already passed clinical trials and is FDA approved and proven itself in the real world.
He talked about the big volume (close to 30% of the outstanding shares) in the recent SP increase. That volume suggests that the tide is turning. The first round of short-sellers will be able to lock in some profits. The slower ones will learn the hard way what a short-squeeze is. Nate says that from MNKD's current market cap of $100M, it IS absolutely possible that we might eventually get a 300-bagger here too (as he did with Celgene), and if/when it does manage to turn the corner, he thinks the path to success will be easier than it was with Celgene.
As always, don't own more than you can comfortably sleep at night or afford to lose. His gut is telling him that sometime in the next month or two we are going to find out that either the company is going out of business, or is on its way back toward fair value ($1-$3 billion for this stage of its existence) and then well past fair value and deep into overvalued territory as the other part of the fear-greed cycle that drives stock prices.
Stay tuned.
The Amazon Effect: The One Touch folks know what's going on. Everybody wants an app to help them live better and healthier. Empowered Healthcare consumer.
MannKind with subscription plan on Amazon and you have the AMAZON effect. It could happen.
Digital health: a changing landscape?
www.medicalplasticsnews.com/news/digital-health-a-changing-landscape/
What does digital health mean for revenue streams in the medical device market? Vince Schaller, director, health practice, at healthcare branding group SGK writes
“Ask your doctor if it’s right for you.” That advice is still sound. But today, consumers are increasingly asking themselves, before they even schedule a doctor’s appointment, “What are the right choices for me?”
Call it the increasing consumerism of health and wellness. Or, in the words of Kristin Hambelton, one of many CMOs who are bringing traditional marketing strategies to healthcare-oriented enterprises, call it the “Amazon Effect.” As Hambelton explains, “We want what we want, when we want it, and if we can’t get it from one place we’ll just keep looking until someone meets our needs.”
New choices, increased competition, ubiquitous information
Medical device manufacturers are facing a new reality: the empowered healthcare consumer. It’s a transformation driven in part by the proliferation of choices and the easy availability of product information and reviews - in other words, the “Amazon Effect”. But there are other powerful drivers as well.
Consumers are paying far more attention to the health, nutritional, and fitness benefits of the brands they buy, using information they find on the internet, through social media, and on a growing selection of “clean label” products to guide their choices.
Consumers are looking for continuous support for their health and wellness goals, not just a few words of advice at their yearly doctor’s appointment. That’s why mobile healthcare has become a top industry trend, with the number of users who have downloaded a health or fitness app doubling to 32% in just two years. The mobile health app category is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent to reach £25 billion by 2020.
That we will see. My guess is they will continue to work to get the Black Box warning removed. Folks in attendance heard what they were told and that was it could be sold DTC. We will have to wait and see how they move it forward.
Very similar view by my friend who was in attendance and this was his 3rd Shareholders meeting.
Time will tell. Let's check back on Saturday or Sunday as that is 10 Calendar days from the Wednesday 32 Million shares.
It would not surprise me that we have a new investor with 10% or more.
No. Q & A. to me means they didn't want to get asked any questions about the crazy trading cycle of last week.