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Pharma firms’ focus on weight-loss drugs could put insulin supply at risk, experts warn
10 November 2026
Date
10 November 2026
STAT highlights uneven progress in expanding access to medicine
In an article for STAT, Ed Silverman covers findings from the Access to Medicine Foundation’s 2026 Access to Medicine Index, highlighting pharmaceutical companies’ progress in access planning and persistent gaps in reaching patients in low- and middle-income countries.
The article notes that access plans now cover 79% of late-stage pipeline candidates, compared with 18% in 2018. It also highlights the role of non-profit partners, with access plans more common among candidates developed through these partnerships. Â
Silverman examines the findings on cancer and diabetes treatments. Despite improvements in access planning for cancer medicines in development, access strategies for marketed cancer medicines remain limited in low-income countries. For diabetes, many plans focus only on regulatory registration, with limited attention to equitable pricing and a narrow geographic reach. Â
Featuring comments from the Foundation’s CEO Jayasree K. Iyer and Director of Research Claudia Martinez, the article also considers longer-term changes in company practices. Both acknowledge progress while emphasising the substantial gaps that remain. The coverage highlights the need for companies to address affordability and reliable supply alongside medicine availability.