DANBURY, Conn., May 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MannKind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD), a company focused on the development and commercialization of inhaled therapeutic products and devices for patients with endocrine and orphan lung diseases, announced Burkhard Blank, MD, has joined the company as Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer, effective today. Blank will report directly to Michael Castagna, PharmD, Chief Executive Officer, and will serve on the company’s executive leadership team.

“Burkhard is an accomplished R&D leader and CMO whose experience will be beneficial as we continue to drive our pipeline and future growth,” said Dr. Castagna. “Burkhard will assume consolidated responsibility for our R&D, regulatory and medical groups, as we pursue our goal of one new indication or product launch per year between 2025-2030.”

Dr. Blank brings to MannKind more than 25 years of broad managerial experience and global drug development across all clinical, medical, and regulatory disciplines in multiple diseases areas. He has deep knowledge in the inhaled therapeutics space and has been instrumental in eight NDA and MAA submissions for small molecules, biologics, and drug-device combinations. Dr. Blank recently served as CMO/Head of R&D at Pharnext SA after serving seven years in the same position at Acorda Therapeutics. While at Acorda, he oversaw the Phase 3 development in North America and in Europe for Inbrija^® (levodopa inhalation powder) for Parkinson’s disease with subsequent one-cycle approvals by the FDA and the EMA.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Blank spent 20 years between Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals in Ridgefield, CT, and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH in Germany, serving in progressive leadership roles. Under his guidance, four products received approval including Spiriva^® (for COPD) for which he oversaw development and led the presentation at the FDA advisory committee meeting. He has proven success in large and small organizations and will be based in Danbury. He received his medical degree from Universitaet Marburg, Germany, and is board-certified in internal medicine.

“I’m excited by MannKind’s burgeoning pipeline with the potential to address serious unmet needs for those living with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and diabetes,” said Dr. Blank. “The talented team at MannKind has already made impressive progress advancing the pipeline and I am looking forward to building on that momentum with them.”

About MannKind

MannKind Corporation (Nasdaq: MNKD) focuses on the development and commercialization of innovative therapeutic products and devices to address serious unmet medical needs for those living with endocrine and orphan lung diseases.

We are committed to using our formulation capabilities and device engineering prowess to lessen the burden of diseases such as diabetes, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease. Our signature technologies – dry-powder formulations and inhalation devices – offer rapid and convenient delivery of medicines to the deep lung where they can exert an effect locally or enter the systemic circulation.

With a passionate team of Mannitarians collaborating nationwide, we are on a mission to give people control of their health and the freedom to live life.

Please visit mannkindcorp.com to learn more, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about pipeline growth plans and potential product launches that involve risks and uncertainties. Words such as “believes”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “will”, “goal”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon MannKind’s current expectations. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the risk that the products we are commercializing may only achieve a limited degree of commercial success, the need for product candidates to undergo nonclinical and clinical testing and obtain regulatory approval prior to their sale and marketing, and other risks detailed in MannKind’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and MannKind undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

MANNKIND is a registered trademark of MannKind Corporation. INBRIJA is a registered trademark of Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. SPIRIVA is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH.