The massive focus of pharmaceutical companies on weight-loss drugs (GLP-1) increases the risk that the production of insulin and other essential diabetes medications will be neglected. According to a new report by the Access to Medicine Foundation, while wealthy countries are consuming obesity medications on a massive scale, patients in poorer countries still lack access to even life-saving insulin.<\/p>\n
GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic by Novo Nordisk and Mounjaro by Eli Lilly have revolutionized the management of obesity and diabetes. However, according to Jay Iyer, Executive Director of the Foundation, manufacturers are now primarily targeting the obesity market, which does little to help people with type 1 diabetes. \u201cEven 105 years after insulin was first developed, millions of people still do not have access to this medicine,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n
Approximately 589 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes, 81% of whom are in low- and middle-income countries, such as Pakistan, Egypt and Jordan. Weight-loss injections and pills generate significantly higher profits for pharmaceutical companies than traditional medications. According to Iyer, there is a real risk that one of the three major players in the insulin market \u2014 Sanofi, Eli Lilly or Novo Nordisk \u2014 could withdraw from it, which would have catastrophic consequences for people with type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
Denmark-based Novo Nordisk has already announced plans to discontinue the production of some older diabetes products, including insulin pens. However, the company says it is exploring alternative ways to supply insulin to poorer countries. Meanwhile, France-based Sanofi has begun construction of a new insulin production line in Frankfurt, while Eli Lilly received authorization in September for a new once-weekly insulin treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
GLP-1 drugs were originally developed to manage type 2 diabetes, but their effectiveness against obesity has opened up an enormous and highly profitable market for pharmaceutical companies. Today, these medications are widely available in wealthy countries, while their high prices remain an insurmountable barrier for patients in poorer nations. According to the Foundation’s report, of the 25 new drugs currently in the research and development pipeline, most are still focused on type 2 diabetes, while only 10 are targeting type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n