Alfred E. Mann has founded and largely funded 17 companies in his career. Two companies became public and ten were acquired at an overall total of almost $8 billion. The companies currently within the family:

• MannKind Corporation, which develops novel therapeutics and drug delivery technologies for treatment primarily of diabetes, metabolic disease and cancer;
• Bioness, which develops and manufactures systems to address neural deficits and to restore controlled function of paralyzed limbs to address peripheral pain;
• Second Sight, which is developing visual prostheses to restore sight to the blind;
• IncuMed, which is developing novel percutaneous seals for various applications;
• PerQFlo, which is developing drug delivery systems; and
• Quallion, which develops, manufactures and markets advanced batteries for medical, aerospace and military applications.

Additionally, Mr. Mann founded and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MiniMed Inc. from its founding in 1993 until August 2001 when it was acquired by Medtronic, Inc. Medtronic MiniMed develops, manufactures and distributes microinfusion systems and continuous glucose monitoring systems that have revolutionized the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Mr. Mann also founded and funded Medical Research Group (MRG) which was developing an artificial pancreas. MRG was also acquired by Medtronic in 2001. Mr. Mann's extensive experience with type 1 diabetes at MiniMed led him to explore therapies to improve outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes which is a pandemic challenging the entire world. Mannkind Corporation has developed an ultra-fast-acting insulin that mimics normal physiology. AFREZZA® will significantly improve care for early stage type 2 diabetics and along with the PerQFlo basal patch pump will more effectively treat type 1 and later type 2 diabetes.

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Al's list of accomplishments go on and on from here( you can see the rest by clicking the link below).However the reason I posted this is because I never knew that one of Al's companies was developing the basal patch pump that he often refers to.Here's what he said in the last earnings call.

"As I have consistently said in previous calls, I am absolutely convinced that AFREZZA will become widely recognized by patients and clinicians alike as the better, safer and more effective therapy throughout almost the entire diabetes spectrum. For quite a few years in the future, I assert that AFREZZA plus the basal insulin patch pump ought to be the optimum basal-bolus therapy for type 1 and late type 2 diabetic patients. "

http://www.medicaldevices.org/node/1465