MannKind: White Elephant For Sale?

A "white elephant" is a possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. This term has been traced back to what is now known as Myanmar. The kings there would give a present of one of these animals to courtiers who had rendered themselves obnoxious, to ruin the recipient by the cost of maintenance. Today the usage of the term is an object, building project, scheme, business venture, facility, etc., considered expensive but without use or value.