Diabetes medications: between promise and privilege

Hello everyone,

Today we want to talk about a topic that is of vital importance for our community: access to medicines and diabetes devices.

Recently, we have encountered a study by doctors without borders published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Jama) Network Open, which has made us open our eyes on the current situation and we would like to share what we have learned.

The study shows business speculation around new diabetes medicines and insulin devices, something that directly affects us.We are struck by LPG-1, a new class of drugs, such as Ozempic and Trulicity, which, although promising in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and are recommended in high-income countries, are not so available in high-income countriesLow and medium income countries.In addition, its price is astronomical, becoming almost 400 times higher than the estimated production cost.

It is shocking to see how, despite the critical need for these medications, intellectual property barriers and the lack of generic versions maintain high prices, limiting access to many of us.And although these medications are also used to lose weight, their shortage and high cost make many people with diabetes cannot access them.

Another key point of the study are insulin injection devices, such as feathers, which are safer and offer greater dosing accuracy.However, due to its high cost, they are rarely available to the population of low and medium income countries.This is especially critical in crisis contexts, where access to medical care is limited.

We are glad to know that the World Health Organization has recently included insulin pens and prolonged action analogues in its list of essential medicines.This is a step in the right direction, but there is still much to make to ensure that we all have access to the treatments we need.

Diabetes is a global disease that does not know about economic borders, and it is unacceptable that access to essential medications will be limited by prohibitive prices.We join doctors without borders in their call to pharmacists to lower prices and make these most accessible treatments for all.

What do you think about this?

Have you had difficulty accessing medications or diabetes devices?

Share your experiences and opinions.Together, we can support each other and advocate for a change.

A big hug to all.

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