MannKind Corp. (MNKD)

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Sanofi's reasons for inking this deal are bountiful
The industry has come to view inhaled insulin products as risky following the Exubera calamity. And instead, we have seen a bitter competition break out in the basal and fast-acting insulin markets via minimally invasive injectables.

On the basal side, Sanofi pretty much owns the market with Lantus. However, Lantus is set to go off patent protection in February, and major pharmas have been ramping up to launch generic versions. And Lantus makes up roughly 20% of Sanofi's revenue, so it's a pretty big deal for shareholders there.

Sanofi is hoping to replace Lantus with a longer-acting form called Toujeo, but again, Lilly and Novo are hard at work developing competing versions called insulin peglispro and Tresiba, respectively. In sum, Sanofi's 80% market share of the basal insulin market is under serious duress.

By playing the intellectual-property game, Sanofi may be able to fend off competitors long enough to transition most, if not all, patients over to Toujeo down the line. That said, this scenario is far from certain and could result in a massive hit to Sanofi's bottom line.

Is Sanofi hitting its competitors where it hurts with Afrezza?
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. And that appears to be Sanofi's strategy with Afrezza. While other Big Pharmas may have passed on Afrezza because of the risk involved, I think Sanofi saw an opportunity to hit its chief competitors, Lilly and Novo, in the pocketbook. Lilly and Novo currently dominate the fast-acting insulin market. Taken together, these two injectables and their delivery devices raked in over $7 billion in sales in 2013