MannKind Corporation 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. 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.