We do not have a lot to go on about the clinical status of the GLP-1 opportunity, as the company hasn't put out a follow up press release since posting positive phase 1a results way back in November 2007. However, with CEO Edstrom calling it out as a potential development project with Sanofi, it could be an interesting opportunity for the company.
What to look for in the years ahead
While a near term investment in MannKind hinges around the success of Afrezza, the big opportunity that exists for MannKind is trying to make its Technosphere technology into a delivery platform for future drugs. Afrezza could be the much needed proof of concept for the technology itself, and if providers become comfortable prescribing an inhaled insulin, it's reasonable to assume that they may also be interested in offering patients inhaled versions of other drugs as well.
For the next few quarters investors should watch sales growth closely, which should hint at how comfortable physicians feel prescribing an inhaled insulin. A radical change in delivery mechanism may simply be too big of a leap for many providers to make, so investors should be on the lookout for any resistance that the company reports with making physicians feel comfortable. They should also closely watch how quickly the milestone payments are reached and listen for any announcements related to other drug opportunities.