(Bloomberg) — MannKind Corp. (Nasdaq:MNKD) shares plunged after Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) ended its collaboration on the development and sale of Afrezza, the latest inhaled insulin to struggle in the diabetes market.
MannKind fell 34 percent to 96 cents at 10:02 a.m., a record intraday low. MannKind, which doggedly pursued development of Afrezza despite numerous setbacks, will take back responsibility for sales of the drug over the next three to six months and is exploring options for the device, the Valencia, Calif.-based company said in a statement. The end of the collaboration will take place no later than July 4, MannKind said.
"The product never met even modest expectations, and we do not project Afrezza reaching even the lowest patient levels anticipated," Sanofi said in an emailed statement. "Costs are projected to remain very high for a significant period of time."
While inhaled insulin offers diabetics an alternative to using needles, safety concerns and a lack of familiarity have held the therapies back from wide adoption. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) pulled its inhaled product, Exubera, from the market in 2007 after diabetics shunned the device, citing its size, cost and safety concerns.
New CEO
Alfred Mann, the eponymous chairman of the inhaled insulin manufacturer, spent $1 billion and more than a decade to get Afrezza approved, making it the company's first product to reach the market. He persisted even after U.S. regulators twice rejected the therapy and it was tied to concerns about lung function.
