GLP-1 boom risks diverting pharma investment from essential insulin, report warns

The article draws on the Foundation’s findings to examine persistent gaps in access to insulin in LMICs, where most people with diabetes live, and the potential consequences if major manufacturers reduce or withdraw their insulin production. Rapid expansion of the markets for Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro are raising concerns as to whether manufacturers will retain commitments to supplying old, less profitable treatments.  

The article also explores the affordability and availability challenges facing GLP-1 medicines themselves, as well as an imbalance in the diabetes pipeline: only ten of the 25 medicines assessed target type 1 diabetes. It places these concerns in the context of wider findings from the Index, including progress in integrating access into pharmaceutical companies’ business strategies, but highlights the continuing need to ensure that commercial priorities do not undermine the supply of established treatments. 

Access to Medicine Foundation CEO Jayasree K. Iyer is paraphrased, warning that the growing focus on the obesity market could leave people who depend on insulin underserved. She also highlights the consequences that potential withdrawals by major insulin manufacturers could have for patients who rely on a consistent supply.