Insights from a study exploring satisfaction, initiation drivers, and barriers to inhaled insulin use

Industry

Medical Device

Challenge

Afrezza, a rapid-acting inhaled insulin, saw an opportunity to expand awareness and understanding of its use and engaged T1D Exchange to examine current perceptions and barriers to use. T1D Exchange designed and executed a study to learn about the experiences of current and past users of Afrezza® in an effort to generate real-world insights into access, use, effectiveness, satisfaction, and quality-of-life impact among adults with T1D.

Results

T1D Exchange recruited 151 adults with type 1 diabetes from the T1D Exchange Registry to examine real-world experiences with inhaled insulin, finding high satisfaction, strong likelihood of continued use, and notable improvements in quality of life. The results, presented at the 2025 ADCES Annual Conference, highlighted opportunities to support education, provider discussions, and broader adoption.

Key Product

Afrezza®

mannkindcorp.com/

76%

of current users were very likely to continue use

60%

of current users were very satisfied with Afrezza®

73%

reported improved quality of life

40%

of users initiated the prescription themselves

About Mannkind Corporation

MannKind Corporation is a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company focused on improving lives through innovative inhaled therapies. Its flagship product, Afrezza®, is an ultra rapid-acting inhaled insulin for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Afrezza is delivered via a small, portable inhaler using single-use cartridges (available in 4-, 8-, and 12-unit doses) that allow users to inhale their mealtime insulin without injections. After inhalation, Afrezza begins working within approximately 12–15 minutes, peaks in about 35–45 minutes, and clears from the body within 1.5–3 hours—a profile that more closely mimics natural insulin release and has a faster peak than any other insulin product on the market.

The Challenge

Despite being available for nearly a decade, Afrezza®—a rapid-acting inhaled insulin—faced ongoing challenges with awareness, adoption, and understanding among people with diabetes and healthcare providers. While clinical data demonstrated its safety and efficacy, real-world perceptions and experiences with Afrezza® remained unclear.

The client sought to better understand how individuals using Afrezza® experience the therapy in everyday life, with the goal of identifying barriers and opportunities to improve education, satisfaction, and uptake of this innovative non-injectable insulin option.

The Solution

T1D Exchange designed and executed an online survey to gather insights from adults with type 1 diabetes who have used inhaled insulin. The goal was to assess satisfaction, drivers of initiation, and perceived barriers to continued use.

The custom-built survey collected real-world perspectives on Afrezza use, focusing on quality of life, interactions with healthcare providers, access and affordability, as well as the reasons some users discontinued treatment.

The Results

Leveraging its online patient registry for type 1 diabetes, T1D Exchange recruited 151 participants, including 89 current users and 62 past users of inhaled insulin. The results were summarized to identify key trends and opportunities for action.

T1D Exchange analyzed the findings and presented them at the 2025 ADCES Annual Conference, providing valuable, data-driven insights to inform future education and outreach strategies for the adoption of inhaled insulin.

Key Findings

76% of current users were very likely to continue use

60% of current users were very satisfied with Afrezza®

40% of users initiated the prescription themselves; 24% received provider recommendations

46% reported strong insurance coverage; 59% found costs comparable or lower than traditional insulin

73% reported improved quality of life

85% of current users and 31% of past users strongly recommend discussing inhaled insulin with a provider