Around half of the 830 million people worldwide living with diabetes, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, lack access to proper treatment. The number of people with diabetes, as well as those without treatment, has been rising steadily for decades, especially in these regions. Access to affordable diabetes medicines is critical, yet pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi control much of the global insulin and GLP-1 medicine market. This monopoly allows them to set high prices, limiting access in low-resource regions. Allowing competition could significantly reduce costs, similar to how generic HIV medicines became 99% cheaper over the past two decades. Expanding production would also help meet the growing global demand for insulin and diabetes care.
Findings from MSF (Doctors Without Borders) indicate that long-acting insulin pens are sold at vastly different prices worldwide: $2.98 in South Africa, $7.88 in India, and $28.40 in the US. Despite this, the estimated production cost per pen is just $1.30.
GLP-1 medicines are heavily marked up to 40,000% higher than their production cost. In South Africa $115/month, in Latvia $230/month, in the US $353/month, yet, MSF's study shows they could be sold for just $0.89/month at a fair profit.
Diabetes is a long-term condition where blood sugar levels become too high, potentially damaging the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. This happens when the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it properly.
For type 1 Diabetes, the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. While for type 2 Diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin, and the pancreas may not produce enough. Gestational Diabetes develops during pregnancy but can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.
Common Symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, blurred vision, fatigue, slow-healing sores
For treatment and management of diabetes, type 1 Diabetes requires lifelong insulin therapy, while type 2 Diabetes is managed with lifestyle changes, medication, and sometimes insulin. Preventive steps like maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, and staying active can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Gestational Diabetes is managed through diet, exercise, and possibly medication.
