MannKind licenses its inhaled delivery platform for a short-acting GLP-1

MannKind Corporation and Rose Pharma Inc. announced on September 9, 2026, that they have entered a worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement to develop ROSE-010 Technosphere, an inhaled, rapid-acting, short-duration GLP-1 receptor agonist aimed at weight management.^[1][2] Rose Pharma gets an exclusive, worldwide license to use MannKind's Technosphere dry-powder inhalation technology, while MannKind will provide formulation development and manufacturing support through the completion of a Phase 1b study.^[1]

MannKind will take an equity stake in Rose Pharma, gain a seat on Rose Pharma's board, and have the right to collect royalties on any future sales of ROSE-010 Technosphere.^[1][2] Rose Pharma keeps control over clinical development, regulatory strategy, and commercialization. The companies did not disclose specific financial terms of the deal.^[1][2]

ROSE-010 is described as a rapid-acting GLP-1 analogue designed to have a short duration of effect, which the companies say could allow patients to control the timing of when the drug is active in their body.^[1] The compound has been tested in four completed human clinical trials so far. In a Phase 2a weight-management trial, it reduced mealtime calorie intake and produced weight loss, with a gastrointestinal tolerability profile the companies describe as favorable given its short exposure window.^[1][2] A separate Phase 2a trial in irritable bowel syndrome found the drug produced statistically significant pain relief, which Rose Pharma says could support its use as an on-demand treatment for acute IBS pain.^[1][2]

The partners also cited a patient preference survey of more than 1,300 adults with obesity, led by physician Angela Fitch, that found strong interest in a rapid-acting, short-duration GLP-1 option offering more flexibility and patient control. An abstract on that survey has been accepted for presentation at ObesityWeek 2026.^[1][2]

This is not MannKind's first attempt at an inhaled GLP-1. The company had previously abandoned its own inhaled GLP-1 program after Phase 1 testing more than 16 years ago, according to the development summary, underscoring that inhaled GLP-1 delivery has a long and difficult history even though the current deal restarts that effort under a new partner and molecule.

Why it matters for patients

For people currently using or considering injectable GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), this deal does not change anything about those approved products today. ROSE-010 Technosphere is an early-stage, investigational compound that has only gone through Phase 2a testing and has not yet started the Phase 1b work called for under this new agreement.^[1][2]

The appeal described by the companies is flexibility: an inhaled product designed to act quickly and wear off quickly, in theory letting a patient decide when the drug is active rather than relying on a weekly injection with effects that last for days.^[1] Rose Pharma's CEO also pointed to a potential audience of people who have not started GLP-1 treatment and may be hesitant to begin injections, as well as patients looking for help maintaining weight loss after other treatment.^[1][2] None of these potential uses have been proven in later-stage trials, and safety and effectiveness data at the scale needed for FDA approval are not yet available.

What happens next

Under the agreement, initial work will focus on re-establishing and optimizing the ROSE-010 formulation, followed by nonclinical and regulatory-enabling studies.^[1][2] MannKind's direct support is tied to completion of a Phase 1b clinical study in weight management; no date for that milestone was given in the announcement. Rose Pharma has said its broader strategy is to pursue Phase 2b studies in both weight management and IBS pain relief to attract partners for later-stage development and eventual commercialization, but no timeline for Phase 2b, regulatory filing, or potential approval has been disclosed.^[2]