Break up the INSULIN Cartel's. MannKind Paradim change.

[kc]

Jan 31, 2017 17:47:01 GMT -5 sweedee79 said:

Jan 30, 2017 15:28:59 GMT -5 kc said:

an article in today's New York times.

Drug Makers Accused of Fixing Prices on Insulin 

www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/health/drugmakers-lawsuit-insulin-drugs.html

A lawsuit filed Monday accused three makers of insulin of conspiring to drive up the prices of their lifesaving drugs, harming patients who were being asked to pay for a growing share of their drug bills.

The price of insulin has skyrocketed in recent years, with the three manufacturers — Sanofi, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly — raising the list prices of their products in near lock step, prompting outcry from patient groups and doctors who have pointed out that the rising prices appear to have little to do with increased production costs.

I wish that MannKind had the guts to really price Afrezza at 50% of the market price to get some volume sales.  Or just do that for the Medicare, Medicaid, Tri-Care markets.   We need to get Afrezza known by the Diabetic community.  Reading the article its heartbreaking what diabetics have to deal with to get life saving insulin at a fair or reasonable price.  

I wish the price would be lowered as to make it available to everyone....    Because the price of any insulin is so high many part D plans have lowered ALL insulin to tier 3 and tier 4...  and only cover certain insulins....  some part D insurers cover humolog....... some cover novolog.... but usually not both ...  and as far as I can see there are only a couple of part D insurers who cover Afrezza...   Afrezza is still more expensive than any other insulin on the market and genetic or biosimilar insulins will be coming...   the cost of insulin has skyrocketed in the past year..   Even though our seniors have paid into medicare all of their lives in the hope and trust that they would be cared for in their old age...  they have ended up having to buy supplement insurances which amounts to aprox. 300$ per person per month(which will go up)....   and a senior with type 1 diabetes pays out aprox 2 to 300$ a month for insulin not to mention their other meds...   Even though seniors have saved money all of their lives for reitirement ....   with the cost of insurance supplements and medicines, not to mention the large increases in cost of living....   it doesn't leave them very much to live a quality life...   Is it ethical??  I don't think it is....  Even a modest decrease in price would help patients be able to afford it...  I would think that this would not only help patients but also the company. 

I don't believe that the very best care is readily available to most seniors on medicare ..  and to me that is sad..  We will all be seniors some day... 

When you read the counts or pleadings on the Class action suit you will see that many diabetics have the Medicare issue of the high cost putting them in the DONUT HOLE situation.  Which I learned in the last 12 months of working with my elderly parents is very expensive.  Once they go over $3,000 per year in cost then the next $1,800 is completely on the person on Medicare.  If a husband and wife are on limited funds they the have to decide to skip meal or whatever it takes.  Some take partial dosages of meds go without.   If you get the time to read they lawsuit you will see what plaintiffs attorneys are pushing.   This will be a very interesting case to watch as the impact is not only diabetes but all insured patients paying the high cost of drugs in the same class where they have raised the prices together in collusion with each other.   True anti-trust violations, violations of the RICO act too.

[sweedee79]

Jan 31, 2017 18:02:16 GMT -5 kc said:

Jan 31, 2017 17:47:01 GMT -5 sweedee79 said:

I wish the price would be lowered as to make it available to everyone....    Because the price of any insulin is so high many part D plans have lowered ALL insulin to tier 3 and tier 4...  and only cover certain insulins....  some part D insurers cover humolog....... some cover novolog.... but usually not both ...  and as far as I can see there are only a couple of part D insurers who cover Afrezza...   Afrezza is still more expensive than any other insulin on the market and genetic or biosimilar insulins will be coming...   the cost of insulin has skyrocketed in the past year..   Even though our seniors have paid into medicare all of their lives in the hope and trust that they would be cared for in their old age...  they have ended up having to buy supplement insurances which amounts to aprox. 300$ per person per month(which will go up)....   and a senior with type 1 diabetes pays out aprox 2 to 300$ a month for insulin not to mention their other meds...   Even though seniors have saved money all of their lives for reitirement ....   with the cost of insurance supplements and medicines, not to mention the large increases in cost of living....   it doesn't leave them very much to live a quality life...   Is it ethical??  I don't think it is....  Even a modest decrease in price would help patients be able to afford it...  I would think that this would not only help patients but also the company. 

I don't believe that the very best care is readily available to most seniors on medicare ..  and to me that is sad..  We will all be seniors some day... 

When you read the counts or pleadings on the Class action suit you will see that many diabetics have the Medicare issue of the high cost putting them in the DONUT HOLE situation.  Which I learned in the last 12 months of working with my elderly parents is very expensive.  Once they go over $3,000 per year in cost then the next $1,800 is completely on the person on Medicare.  If a husband and wife are on limited funds they the have to decide to skip meal or whatever it takes.  Some take partial dosages of meds go without.   If you get the time to read they lawsuit you will see what plaintiffs attorneys are pushing.   This will be a very interesting case to watch as the impact is not only diabetes but all insured patients paying the high cost of drugs in the same class where they have raised the prices together in collusion with each other.   True anti-trust violations, violations of the RICO act too.

I will read it Kc.....  but yes.. my dad falls in the donut hole every single year...   its really not fair..  he didn't ask to have LADA ...  it was no fault of his own, thus he is being penalized for something he couldn't help....    I thought insurance was suppose to prevent this type of situation... isn't that what we pay the premiums for... isn't that why we pay into medicare all of our lives???  When a patient falls in the donut hole they pay around 50% .. and I believe congress is working on making the donut hole responsibility less than it is...   or at least they were...   I believe Medicare has become a problem for the US ...  they cant afford it..  same as social security is a problem ...  huge health care problems in this country due in part to greed, overcharging for medical care...  I have big issues with our health care system as it is...   people making so much money off of sick people...   is it ethical??? 

Why cant Mannkind be an example of a company that cares about todays issues?? I believe Al Mann devoted his life to helping people...   Yes the company has to make it in order to help people...  so lets take enough of a profit so that the company can thrive ...  yet also try to keep the prices affordable...   if that is possible..  I think that is the ethical thing to do... 

[kc]

Sam is correct and MannKind should fire the first shot in the consumer battle regarding insulin pricing.

Careful2Invest said:

Now that the price gouging for insulin is making news, what better opportunity for MNKD to take advantage of the free press
that they could get by announcing in a news story of how they can "come to the rescue" with lower pricing and at the same time,
get the word out to the masses about AFREZZA. This could be an excellent opportunity if done correctly.
Let's see if Matt and Mike see it that way as well!
GLTA TRUE LONGS!

Read more: mnkd.proboards.com/thread/5513/sams-tweets?page=9#ixzz4XZRGAE00

[sluggobear]

Deja vu.
I've been beating this Dead horse drum since at least Mar last year.
It would be a good political move. It would also be an enormous psychological benefit to people who are constantly blocked by their insurance companies. There has to be a way to Leverage The immense goodwill potential here. Free insulin to seniors was my first thought back then.
mnkd.proboards.com/thread/5337/mannkind-splashy-on-april-5th

[sluggobear]

Feb 2, 2017 17:53:36 GMT -5 sluggobear said:

Deja vu.
I've been beating this Dead horse drum since at least Mar last year.
It would be a good political move. It would also be an enormous psychological benefit to people who are constantly blocked by their insurance companies. There has to be a way to Leverage The immense goodwill potential here. Free insulin to seniors was my first thought back then.


Here is what I wrote in Mar 2016. Almost 1y later now:
If there isn't any solid, significant source of revenue in "line of sight" as Matt says, e.g. $200m, then I think a Hail Mary is necessary. Announce free Afrezza insulin for seniors on Medicaid. Set the price of Afrezza to be newsworthy. I have been banging this drum so someone tell me why this approach is foolhardy...

I wrote an email welcoming Dr. Castagna in his new position as Mannkind's CCO, wishing him luck, and voicing these suggestions about pricing Afrezza:

"I would be very excited to see Mannkind announce that they are:
- pricing Afrezza to make it cheaper than ALL other prandial insulins.
- making Afrezza available for ALL diabetics to try for 6 mos - 1 yr through deep discounts (basically the cost of a copay).
- creating a special Medicaid program for seniors who require insulin but cannot afford it."

I asked, "Are you really going to try to fight PBM's and insurance companies to get Rx numbers going? I assume they will always counter with the same reasoning for denial of coverage. By selling Afrezza at an undercutting price, PBM's and insurance cos. would not be involved initially. Also the other holdups of PA / ST would be removed. If patients never hear about (and try) Afrezza, they won't know what they are missing. I believe you can get millions to try it (and fall in love with it). After 6 months, assuming better QOL and lower A1c's, patients will demand it from their docs."

I realize this is probably way too simplistic. But trying to restart Afrezza, again as a niche product, means the company might not survive (I'm being generous). I also said that I think the "lowest price in the US for insulin" story would mean free advertising - a David v. Goliath story in the New York Times, the anti-Martin Shkreli approach.

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2017 18:00:35 GMT -5 sluggobear said:

Feb 2, 2017 17:53:36 GMT -5 sluggobear said:

I wrote an email welcoming Dr. Castagna in his new position as Mannkind's CCO, wishing him luck, and voicing these suggestions about pricing Afrezza:

"I would be very excited to see Mannkind announce that they are:
- pricing Afrezza to make it cheaper than ALL other prandial insulins.
- making Afrezza available for ALL diabetics to try for 6 mos - 1 yr through deep discounts (basically the cost of a copay).
- creating a special Medicaid program for seniors who require insulin but cannot afford it."

I asked, "Are you really going to try to fight PBM's and insurance companies to get Rx numbers going? I assume they will always counter with the same reasoning for denial of coverage. By selling Afrezza at an undercutting price, PBM's and insurance cos. would not be involved initially. Also the other holdups of PA / ST would be removed. If patients never hear about (and try) Afrezza, they won't know what they are missing. I believe you can get millions to try it (and fall in love with it). After 6 months, assuming better QOL and lower A1c's, patients will demand it from their docs."

I realize this is probably way too simplistic. But trying to restart Afrezza, again as a niche product, means the company might not survive (I'm being generous). I also said that I think the "lowest price in the US for insulin" story would mean free advertising - a David v. Goliath story in the New York Times, the anti-Martin Shkreli approach.

Time to remind him again?