MannKind Corporation and Rose Pharma have entered into a worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement to develop ROSE-010 Technosphere for weight management.

Under the agreement, Rose Pharma has received an exclusive, worldwide licence to use MannKind’s proprietary Technosphere dry-powder inhalation technology to develop and commercialise ROSE-010. MannKind will provide formulation and pharmaceutical development services to support the programme through completion of a Phase 1b study.

ROSE-010 is an investigational rapid-acting, short-duration Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist designed for inhaled delivery. The companies will evaluate whether its short duration of action could provide a more flexible approach to weight management.

Rose Pharma will retain responsibility for clinical development, regulatory strategy and commercialisation. MannKind will receive an equity interest in Rose Pharma and is eligible for royalties on potential future net sales of ROSE-010. The agreement also provides MannKind with representation on Rose Pharma’s board of directors. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The collaboration will initially focus on re-establishing and optimising the formulation, followed by nonclinical and regulatory-enabling activities. MannKind will also provide development and manufacturing support as the programme progresses toward Phase 1b.

ROSE-010 has been evaluated in four completed human clinical trials. In a Phase 2a weight-management study, the candidate demonstrated reductions in mealtime caloric intake and body weight, with a favourable gastrointestinal tolerability profile. In a separate Phase 2a study in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), ROSE-010 demonstrated statistically significant pain relief, supporting its further investigation for acute IBS pain.

The companies said the potential for a rapid-acting, short-duration GLP-1 treatment could provide an alternative approach for people seeking greater flexibility in weight-management therapy. A patient-preference survey involving more than 1,300 adults with obesity found interest in such a treatment profile, with the findings accepted for presentation at ObesityWeek 2026.

The collaboration builds on previous feasibility and formulation work involving ROSE-010 and Technosphere technology. Rose Pharma will lead the programme’s clinical and regulatory development as the companies advance the inhaled formulation toward further clinical testing.