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Post by kc on Jun 23, 2019 10:34:29 GMT -5
No - not going to shut down the threads. But it does seem a bit unseemly that both sides are airing dirty laundry in public. Liane I agree with you 100%..... the battle of the 10lb weaklings. VDEX limited finances and MannKind fighting against the big 3 in the insulin market. |
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Post by kc on Jun 23, 2019 10:31:30 GMT -5
I have intentionally not commented much on the VDEX / MannKind dispute. The whole situation has gotten very ugly. What is happening right now is like watching a couple go through a very public bitter divorce before actually going down the isle to get married. There is so much bad blood between VDEX and MannKind that a partnership is clearly out of the question. No one trusts each other and that is not the basis for establishing a healthy partnership. Here’s the thing. We all have a common belief......we all fervently believe in the amazing results of Afrezza and Technosphere. We are all passionate about seeing the success of Afrezza in the market but very frustrated at how difficult it has been. Turning on each other only helps the shorts and those that want the company to fail. And believe me, there are many that want the company to fail. The trolls on StockTwits are almost gleeful that long time longs are at each other’s throats. It is perfect for them and the troll / shorts will continue to stoke the bad blood to cause as much confusion and chaos as possible. IMHO, I think it is time for both MannKind and VDEX to go “off the air” from here on out. It is not serving the greater good which is selling Afrezza to diabetics that desperately need it. There may be legitimate frustrations on both sides but going after each other publicly is hurting everyone except the enemies of the company. And who knows, perhaps if everyone takes a “time out” more common ground can be found. The problem here is that the whole Vdex situation has highlighted some of the doubts and fears that some of us have had about Castagna long before the Vdex dirty laundry was aired. It is not just an isolated incident and a feud between two business entities. If there is an issue with any short comings that Mike C has then its the boards responsibility to deal with them. We can’t allow message boards to divide us. The board’s goal is to do what is in the best interest of MannKind Corporation. You can bet that they will do that as it pertains to Mike C. If he is doing a good job they will reward him and if he is doing a poor job they will issue corrective measures including termination. Let’s focus on how to make the company better and not terminating the man who stepped up to move the company forward when it should have filed for bankruptcy. The company has made many steps forward in the last 3 years. Yes they have also made many errors as sales and marketing in a mature market is not easy when you are the 10lb weakling going up against the big 3 producers of insulin in the market place. VDEX is also a 10lb weakling. They are not well funded and have not been able to grow as fast as they wanted too. I am sure Bill wants to grow the business but his challenge is the market place and the pressure he faces from other managed care programs who want cheaper solutions. Eventually Healthcare alternatives like Haven Healthcare will drive down the cost of insulation distribution by setting up their own diabetes networks to their subscribers. Mike made a comment last week about Kaiser distribution. Diabetes is a national problem and the cost of insulin is being used as a 2020 political issue. How to get patients cheaper solutions for their insulin. Mike has already cast the direction about finding a cheaper way to get insulin to patients. What that model will be nobody knows. But you can bet. It will be in some form of direct distribution with a provider like Kaiser or perhaps Haven when they get going. My bet is that VDEX / Bill jumped the shark as a new subscriber model to patients will destroy the VDEX model. Bill is looking out for his invested capital in VDEX. Mike C. Is looking out for how to get Afrezza available to more patients nationwide. A relationship with a Kaiser or a Haven has more chance for success than a limited contract with VDEX. www.havenhealthcare.com/visionHow is Haven going to improve health care? We are pursuing a number of common-sense fixes, as well as innovative approaches, to address issues like making primary care easier to access, insurance benefits simpler to understand and easier to use, and prescription drugs more affordable. We are also looking at new ways to use data and technology to make the overall health care system better. Is Haven going to replace existing doctors or insurance companies? We are interested in working with clinicians and insurance companies to improve the overall health care system. We will be an ally of anyone who is working to make health care better for patients. www.havenhealthcare.com/visioWho is Haven going to help? Our focus is the U.S.-based employees and families from Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase. In time, we intend to share our innovations and solutions to help others. How is Haven “free from profit-making incentives”? It’s very simple: our goal is not profit. We’re able to focus on creating value for families, not shareholders, since we are free from profit-making incentives and constraints. The organization will reinvest any surplus back into our work to improve health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and lower costs for individuals and families. |
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Post by kc on Jun 22, 2019 18:13:37 GMT -5
Michael Kovacocy Michael Kovacocy 48m · Edited Follow MNKD - My phone is blowing up. I am not responsible for the chaos enveloping management. If Mike the CEO were to rescind the raises and/or take concrete measures to appease people re: excessive remuneration - things could get calmer. And if management would just acknowledge the points Vdex raises about having alternative channels to market which are more capital efficient - or simply acknowledge the need to have sales channels to market which are capital efficient - then the dogs could be called off. Time to throw good, hard working shareholders a bone. It’s in management’s court now. #MNKD A bit of a "drama queen," isn't he? For the record I think he is a schill and have not really engaged in any dialog with him or about him. I don’t pay too much attention to him. There was once a song by a band named Kansas. That song was : DUST IN THE WIND........ That is my view of Michael Kovacocy since his arrival on the scene. |
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Post by kc on Jun 22, 2019 18:10:07 GMT -5
Someone comes to you with proposal to help you sell more products and they don't ask any additional favor you are giving to your current sellers. Wouldn't you at least listen to their plan? I would be more inclined to their plan if they didn’t trash talk me in videos and try to organize a mob to destroy me. Bill has made it clear he can get money if Mannkind plays along. Fine, how much is it worth? Make an offer, money or a bonded commitment. Money talks, BS walks. Free is not acceptable. If bill can get 100 Million from his friends then his VDEX clinics would be all over the west coast and printing cash. But currently he only has two clinics. I think he is an honorable guy but he made a huge mistake taking this matter public. He put himself, his clinics, and his relationship with MannKind in peril. Did he do this to create a lawsuit? I guess we will see what unfolds. But I don’t see the relationship between the two entities continuing. |
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Post by kc on Jun 22, 2019 18:00:19 GMT -5
I concur, and wholeheartedly support more comprehensive communication. My first set of questions are: 1. What is the plan for Bluehale? We've been seeing the device for 2-3 years now, and even seen an app available for it, yet we really haven't seen anything concrete with it in mind? Is the strategy really that secret that more details on the plan can't be shared with shareholders. How about a timeline? 2. What progress has been made for making inexpensive pulmonary testing available to doctors? It was talked about several years ago and then nothing more was ever said about it. Between insurance/PAs, and lung testing, these have been significant hurdles for doctor acceptance. 3. What is the real story with the ADA? Talking about achieving improved representation regarding that STAT study has never answered the real question? Why will the ADA not acknowledge Afrezza on par with other RAAs. They do not mention it in the recommended protocol. Suggesting that there's been progress, yet the ADA will not list inhaled insulin as part of the recommended protocol (for insulin dependent PWDs) suggests there is a deeper issue. Why can't shareholders share in whatever the answer is? What reason do they give MNKD why Afrezza gets such a low billing, listed somewhere after bariatric surgery in the alternate treatments section? If they've listed specific achievements milestones that are necessary to join the list of existing insulin therapies, let shareholders know what those requirements are and what MNKD is doing about it. Shareholders are passengers on the MNKD airplane. We can't see out the cockpit, especially when the cockpit door is closed, locked, and guarded by a sky marshal. If the captain is going to come on the PA now and again, give us some real information about our progress. I know when I'm flying, it's reassuring and builds confidence when the captain comes on and says how things really are, even if it's not always a pretty picture. Don’t expect Mike to communicate anything else on this board or other other topics. I appreciate his coming here today to address the VDEX issues but he will not continue to communicate on other topics on this board. That is not his role as CEO. |
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Post by kc on Jun 22, 2019 17:58:03 GMT -5
A few years ago there was someone called Kevinmik who regularly posted on Yahoo! Message Board (now known as Yahoo! Conversations). They regularly speculated at buyout scenarios. After awhile the posts were no longer credible and the posts were often mocked. Much of the mocking appeared to be from people who were paid to bash or held short positions, so I ignored both Kevinmik, and the bashers. SSDD I have not seen a Kevinmik posting in 3+ years. I blocked him too on ST.... |
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Post by kc on Jun 22, 2019 17:53:29 GMT -5
michaelcastagna Thanks so much for your input. Still long here - from the moment I 1st heard of this paradigm shifting treatment of diabetes ~ 9 years ago. I know failed drug launches are never easy. I wish you and all shareholders every success. I am a long shareholder from the early days and have lost way too much twice on MannKind. But I kept reinvesting in the company as I believe in Al Mann’s dream and I also believe in the current Management team. Mike has done a GREAT job with the tools he has had to work with and the conditions he found when he got to the job. I have stayed out of this long thread as always thought and knew that Management and the board was working in the best interest’s of the shareholders. Nobody wants to win more than Michael Castagna He has staked his career on making Afrezza and MannKind a winner. The board gave the team the perks that all publicly traded companies give their management team. Good for them. |
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Post by kc on Jun 22, 2019 5:34:34 GMT -5
Proper protocol would be to send it by certified mail return receipt to each member of the Board of Directors. That way each one would have a copy of it. Can you provide those addresses? Not hard to do if you do the research. Simple Google search will give you lots of information |
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Post by kc on Jun 21, 2019 22:21:33 GMT -5
How do you pursue something if every time you submit it to the CEO it gets squashed and not submitted to the Board of Directors.. or you get out right silence, he goes dark. That was the whole point of going public so they could get it to the board of directors and be transparent with the shareholders about their intentions. You email bod members. Very simple Proper protocol would be to send it by certified mail return receipt to each member of the Board of Directors. That way each one would have a copy of it. It is not very hard to track down each Board of Directors personal address. If it was sent to the company the company would have the Fiduciary duty to see that they got it. |
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Post by kc on May 16, 2019 15:20:22 GMT -5
Is Australia a public pay market or a socialized market? Socialize just may be easier to get penetration if the product is priced right to the Australian government. I assume they recognize FDA approval? |
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Post by kc on May 10, 2019 14:47:28 GMT -5
its at the famous Warick Hotel..... (never heard of it) Prominent guests According to the Warwick Hotel website, James Dean, Jane Russell, Elizabeth Taylor, Meyer Lansky, and Elvis Presley were frequent guests. Actor Cary Grant resided at the Warwick and lived in the hotel for 12 years. During one of The Beatles trip to the U.S., they stayed in the Warwick.[3] In September 2011 and 2012, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his delegation stayed at the Warwick for the UN General Assembly, which led to protests outside the hotel.[7][8] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_New_York_Hotel |
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Post by kc on May 10, 2019 14:22:01 GMT -5
Foolish me couldn't resist and purchased more shares to avg down my investment. Now I hope that something good happens next week at the shareholders meeting. But I won't hold my breath.
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Post by kc on Apr 11, 2019 17:22:46 GMT -5
I don't know why you say here's the truth as though anything I said was factually incorrect. It may be UTHR's plan to switch 100% of Tyvaso to TreT, but that doesn't always translate over. Expecting TreT to furiously outperform Tyvaso is probably a bad assumption. My exact words were "Right now, we should expect TreT to replace Tyvaso's sales, assuming UTHR pushes hard and educates doctors. Whether it will extend far beyond that is unknown. " I'm not sure how your post made that statement incorrect. Envision a scenario where a doctor prescribes Tyvaso but finds out it's discontinued. If a UTHR rep hasn't made their rounds to that doctor's office, they're not going to switch to TreT, they'll switch it to something else. That was the point of my post. UTHR is going to have to market TreT as a though it is a new drug. I won't comment too far outside of the lines but will posit this one question- if the market size is about the same, is UTHR going to aggressively market TreT to make the same amount of money (actually less since MNKD gets their cut too) they otherwise would have already? For all intents and purposes, TreT is superior to Tyvaso. But will it be indicated for more patients? Will they do another expensive superiority trial where they compare it against other medications or just let ease of use be the main driver for prescriptions? Unless I'm missing something, the studies they're doing are comparing TreT to Tyvaso as well as completing a safety trial, not comparing it to other drugs in its class. UTHR must have seen enough potential to recoup all of these costs and more, otherwise they probably wouldn't have inked the deal. I won't sit here and play armchair quarterback. Certainly UTHR has done their homework and knows how this all plays out. Just color me a little skeptical about this blowing Tyvaso out of the water for the reasons I stated above. A lot of this is riding on how aggressively UTHR markets TreT and how much they're willing to spend to ensure its success. Treprostinil Technosphere is the next generation of inhaled treprostinil therapy, and it will replace Tyvaso 100%. Martine Rothblatt has made it perfectly clear, numerous times—MannKind's inhalation devices are revolutionary, and their TreT drug/device combo will be a life-changer compared to Tyvaso. TreT is 100% superior to Tyvaso and will be 100% replacing it. Currently, that's WHO group 1, but potentially WHO group 3 (PH-COPD & PH-ILD) —and possibly more, will have to wait and see. No approved therapies for WHO group 3 currently. Tyvaso would be the first if the trials succeed. I cannot make sense of your hypothetical scenario. What is the physician gonna prescribe instead of TreT in that picture? Are they just gonna literally discontinue their inhaled treprostinil therapy entirely? That would be ridiculous. What if they use Tyvaso in combo with other med(s)? Just abruptly stop inhaled treprostinil therapy and select something else? Would they even continue using treprostinil at all? Pump? Injection? I can't see that unless it were clinically indicated. I really believe your scenario is FUD. Rothblatt is no flake, and we ain't goin to Hell in a bucket. I agree with Mango |
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Post by kc on Apr 8, 2019 6:52:07 GMT -5
During the segment on RLS and Canada, Mike was making reference to Canadian law that would allow for cannibinoids manufactured in Canada to be exported to the rest of the world. MNKD would have to get either Technosphere or Afrezza registered in Canada first. As for OTC, I think the reference was to cannibinoids, not Afrezza Thank you. |
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Post by kc on Apr 8, 2019 6:34:41 GMT -5
No Q & A
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