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Post by sportsrancho on Aug 31, 2016 12:00:05 GMT -5
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Post by sportsrancho on Aug 31, 2016 12:01:53 GMT -5
Making Sense of Diabetes
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Afrezza is Back with a Better Co-Pay Card Program and New Cartridge Pack
8/30/16 - NEW NOW NEXT
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By Payal Marathe
MannKind has re-launched the inhaled mealtime insulin, Afrezza, alongside new initiatives to promote the product
Following the terminated partnership with Sanofi, MannKind has relaunched its ultra-rapid-acting inhaled (needle free) mealtime insulin, Afrezza. diaTribe is very enthusiastic about Afrezza’s potential for people with diabetes in need of alternatives to traditional insulin and hope very much that patients will be able to obtain access.
As diaTribe has previously covered, Afrezza is an ultra-rapid-acting insulin for people with type 1 and 2 diabetes, peaking in only 16-21 minutes versus about 60-90 minutes for current injected rapid-acting insulins such as Humalog and Novolog – that’s a big difference! Recent studies of Afrezza also showed that it lasts two-to-three hours less than other rapid-acting insulins. This is an important advantage for a mealtime insulin – fast-in, fast-out ensures the insulin covers food quickly, without lingering and causing delayed low blood sugar.
Going forward, MannKind will sell and market the product directly. Afrezza faced some challenges when it launched related to decisions – particularly around pricing – made by Sanofi, and MannKind has now added programs to make it easier to get and use the product:
1. A new Afrezza Patient Savings Card and Reimbursement Program. Sign up is available online or in a doctor’s office and could reduce cost to as low as $15 per month for those with a commercial insurance plan (not available for Medicaid, Medicare, or certain state-funded plans). Signing up for the reimbursement support program also confers enrollment in a customized patient adherence program, helping users take Afrezza regularly with meals to maximize its benefit.
2. A new starter pack. Though Afrezza was previously available in four-, eight-, and 12-unit cartridges, MannKind has now released a 30-day titration pack combining 90 four-unit cartridges and 90 eight-unit cartridges – giving users greater flexibility to adjust their dose as they learn how to use Afrezza. This also allows patients more customization options in adjusting their follow-up (“correction”) doses of Afrezza if they aren’t at their glucose goal after a meal. Titration is especially important during the first 30 days, as the dose response to Afrezza is different than injectable insulin.
3. More education and improved labeling. MannKind’s initiatives in education include a bureau of voluntary speakers who will educate healthcare providers on how to best prescribe Afrezza. The company also plans to update its product label to reflect how quickly Afrezza works and how to change doses effectively.
For more on Afrezza, check out previous diaTribe coverage on interviews with users after the product’s first launch. There has been terrific feedback but very tough challenges regarding coverage – we hope to see this change for the better. Particularly given how poorly people with diabetes have been doing overall with insulin, diaTribe is hopeful about this important new alternative.
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Post by mannmade on Aug 31, 2016 12:24:55 GMT -5
Nice find Sports. This may be the start within the diabetes Community for more self generated and widespread awareness to the masses with an advocacy tone about the real world benefits.
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Post by tarheelblue004 on Aug 31, 2016 12:41:00 GMT -5
Let's hope so - what a positive article
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Post by factspls88 on Aug 31, 2016 12:45:29 GMT -5
Nice full "page" article! |
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Post by gwb on Aug 31, 2016 12:54:58 GMT -5
diatribe.org/foundation/sites/diatribe.org.foundation/files/The%20diaTribe%20Foundation%202015%20In%20Review.pdf[PDF]2015 in review - diaTribe diatribe.org/.../diatribe.../The%20diaTribe%20Foundation%202015%20In%20Review... DIATRIBE 2015 AT A GLANCE. 130% grown our subscriber community by named. 1of6. Top Diabetes Nonprofit. Influencers by Healthline. 1.5+ million number ...
Not sure about their subscription numbers presently but . on page three of the above PDF , the following : Where to begin? There was the success of diaTribe, our online diabetes resource, which has helped over 1.5 million people with diabetesand their loved ones in the last year. There was the growth of our advocacy program, as we work with other major diabetes patient groups and the FDA to improve outcomes. There was also—and I’m especially excited about this—the inaugural “d16: Executive Innovation Lab on Diabetes and Obesity,” which brought together
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Post by babaoriley on Aug 31, 2016 15:55:29 GMT -5
gwb? What? Am I seeing things? Do those letters mean the same as they used to?
Nice find, Sports, those are just the type of things we need to see - more frequently.
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Post by gwb on Sept 1, 2016 1:23:29 GMT -5
Baba , I am still around , it's great to see you are positive , especially now that everyone is worth 10 % of what they invested in MNKD . The DiaTribe write up directed at type 1 and type 2's is the type of coverage we need to get the scripts up . This Mike C . is a blessing and if the team already added 200 prescribers (from Mike C . reply to Dioshit on Seeking Alpha ) , we should begin to see the effects September . This coming 4th Quarter could be exciting !
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