Dear Friend of Diabetes Research, 

DRWF is proud to support and be a part of #GivingTuesday.  I hope you are doing well.  I hope that you were able to participate in World Diabetes Day earlier this month.  It was a wonderful day uniting all those with diabetes and loved ones together in our quest to raise awareness of diabetes and its complications.  The end of the year is coming to a close and so are our funding commitments to many researchers.  Each researcher relies on our funding to continue their work with no delays. 

We have a heavy need.

Your decision to send a special leadership gift of $12, $25, $100 or whatever you can afford today will help make it possible for our funding of state-of-the-art research and educational programs to continue.  

The millions of Americans with diabetes, young and old, have a right to a chance at good health. Lives stopped short by complications to diabetes is not a fact we can sit idly by and accept.  

One of our top research priorities is in islet cell transplantation.  Our medical and scientific advisory board is fully committed to this fast-track effort to assemble the very best researchers to concentrate on this very unique idea of transplanting insulin-making cells into patients.

No one is safe from diabetes.  I'm counting on everyone I talk to, to give from the heart for the need is real.  

Sincerely, 

Andrea Stancik

Executive Director

 

Zion Research has published a new report titled “Human Insulin Market”  in the report they state that Global Human Insulin market accounted for USD 27.00 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 43.6 billion by 2021, growing at a rate of around 8.3% between 2016 and 2021.

The price of insulin has tripled in the past decade, some individuals are paying $400-$500 a month for their insulin.  A physician who has tracked the cost of insulin states that the wholesale price in 2001 was $45. In 2015 it has jumped 3000 percent to $1447.  How has this happened, as stated in the article about biosimilar insulin in this newsletter there are only three companies that have the patents for insulin.  Pharmaceutical companies defend the cost as justified to cover the funding of new types of insulin. 

According to the Zion report, even if biosimilars are developed the increased numbers of individuals with diabetes is growing; the number of individuals requiring insulin is growing; the technological advances in insulin delivery devices; and favorable medical reimbursements are all fueling the growth.

In 2015, North America had the largest share in the global insulin market.  This growth is attributed to the high prevalence of diabetes, the technological advances and government support. European countries are also seeing growth of revenue as the incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing and the use of insulin therapy has been influenced by the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), both of which showed the importance of tight metabolic control in patients with diabetes.

Attention is being drawn to this problem as recent reports about the rising cost of EpiPens received a significant amount of press.  Health care professionals and diabetes organizations are looking at these issues and bringing them to the attention of legislators.  It is important that we raise awareness. As an individual you must make your voice heard.  Contact DRWF with your story, contact your legislators and let them know that they need to look at this problem. 

Health insurances are asking more of their insurers to bear the burden and as a result individuals are experiencing hard choices – do they take the insulin they need to live or do they try to stretch their supply? 

Download the card or the DRWF Drug Discount App. *This card cannot be used with insurance.

Published in the Diabetes Wellnes Newsletter November, 2016 issue

Boston Scientists make quantum leap in diabetes treatment 

In April of this year Medscape Diabetes and Endocrinology published an article by Mark Harmel, MPH, CDE and Irl B. Hirsh, MD.  Dr. Hirsh is an endocrinologist who also happens to have Type 1 diabetes.  He raises questions about insulin pricing whenever he has the opportunity.

Dr. Hirsh states that his patients are yelling at him, because they cannot afford their insulin.  Patients on Medicare who have not been on insulin long, find that due to the cost of insulin they quickly fall into the doughnut-hole and have to pay for their insulin out of pocket.  The newly insured who did not understand the high deductible are now forced to pay full price for their insulin, and co-pays for insulin have increased so dramatically that individuals with insurance can no longer pay for their insulin.  As we stated in the July newsletter, the cost of insulin has risen almost 200 percent between 2002 and 2013 and the burden is now too great.

In order to make insulin last longer many individuals will cut back their dose or skip doses.  This is a big problem considering those with diabetes need insulin to stay healthy.  For those with Type 1 diabetes it becomes much more serious, as they can’t live without taking insulin.

So how is insulin priced?

The picture has changed dramatically in recent years.  Insulin prices are set by the three big insulin companies – Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi.  However, the new players are the PBMs – Pharmacy Benefit Managers.  PBMs are a third-party administrator of prescription drug programs for commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and state government employee plans.  As of 2016, PBMs manage pharmacy benefits for 266 million Americans. They operate inside of integrated healthcare systems (e.g., Kaiser or VA), as part of retail pharmacies (e.g.,CVS Pharmacy or Rite-Aid), and as part of insurance companies (e.g.,UnitedHealth Group). There are fewer than 30 major companies in this category in the US.  The three major PBMs comprise 78 percent of the market, and cover 180 million enrollees.

PBMs make money by charging health plans fees for processing the payments of the prescription benefits, in addition they make large profits by “marking up” prescription drug benefit claims and billing your health plan more than your local pharmacist charges.  These companies also receive payments from the pharmaceutical companies based on their ability to promise to increase the sales of a costly brand-name medication.  These savings do not get passed on to the health plans.

These companies are now the middleman and are direct competitors to community pharmacists.  They are the main reason why prescription medications have increased so dramatically in recent years.

Because of rebates given to healthcare plans, the pharmaceutical companies are then forced to increase the amount of money they charge—further causing prices to rise.  DRWF is interested in hearing about your experiences with trying to afford your medications.  Email us your story at diabeteswellness@diabeteswellness.net, or call the helpline at 800-941-4635.