MannKind Corporation has announced that it will offer Afrezza inhaled insulin directly to diabetes patients in the US and is also introducing a savings card program for US patients with commercial insurance . The direct purchase program is administered by Eagle Pharmacy.
The first 1,000 patients to register for the direct purchase program will be eligible for reduced pricing of $120 for a 90 count box of Afrezza cartridges (4, 8, or 12 units) or $199 for a 180 count box (4, 8, or 12 units), guaranteed for 12 months. At the time of publication, drug price monitoring website GoodRx listed prices for Afrezza 4 units at US retailers ranging from $327.30 to $354.19 for a 90 count box. For a 90 count box of Afrezza 12 units, the prices range from $1,001.15 to $1053.57.
Afrezza was approved by the FDA for the treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in 2014 and was launched in the US by MannKind and its then partner Sanofi in February 2015. Sanofi returned the rights to the DPI to MannKind in January 2016, citing disappointing sales, and MannKind took over US distribution of the product later that year.
MannKind CEO Michael Castagna said, “It is important for MannKind to help those whose lives depend on insulin, and, unfortunately, over 65,000 uninsured or under-insured patients today must pay cash for their insulin each month, typically at the pharmacy counter at prices that reflect the costs of the pharmaceutical distribution chain. Our new Afrezza Patient Direct Program enables us to streamline the numerous costs and inefficiencies that exist in today’s healthcare system, so we can pass along the savings directly for these patients. We want to be part of the solution for the future of healthcare and healthy living.”
Castagna added, “Our founder Al Mann had a vision of making Afrezza available to all people living with diabetes, and it’s concerning that rising costs may cause some with diabetes to go without insulin. We hope that our new programs will have an impact and help many in need.”
Read the MannKind Corporation press release.
