Exponential rise in sales of costly anti-diabetes drugs worrisome

Ahead of the World Diabetes Day, observed on November 14, a nationwide study has revealed a substantial rise in the sale of insulin and other, expensive oral drugs. India is on the verge of becoming a diabetic capital. The research was aimed to study sales trends of all top-selling drugs in the last nine years."The increasing sales of high-cost medications, as revealed by our data, are particularly worrisome, since most Indians pay out of their pockets, and nearly seven per cent experience catastrophic expenditure because of diabetes. Only a bare minimum number of patients are covered by health insurance, and even there, only the hospitalisation cost is paid by insurance companies," said Dr Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Specialities.

He added: "There has been an escalation in the overall cost of treating diabetes in India. While there is a distinct rise in the use of newer oral drugs and insulin analogues, affordability and accessibility of anti-diabetic therapy for low socio-economic stratum remains inadequate."

As per the study conducted by the Fortis Healthcare, insulin sales have risen from Rs 151 crore in 2008 to Rs 842 crore in 2016. 

At the same time, oral drug sales have gone up from Rs 278 crore in 2013 to Rs 700 crore in 2016. The data trend reveals reduced inertia of patients and physicians to use insulin. This further points to the fact that over the last few years, chronic kidney disease due to diabetes has become more prevalent in the country, necessitating insulin therapy in a greater numbers.

The sales of oral diabetes drugs also increased from Rs 278.5 crore in 2013 to Rs 570.9 crore in 2015, and then to Rs 700 crore in 2016. Although listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an essential drug, only 35-63 per cent of primary health centers stock the most basic oral drugs for diabetes.

"The number of people with diabetes in India is increasing rapidly due to lifestyle transitions and is second only to China. Type II diabetes is increasing at a worrisome rate in semi-urban and rural areas," Misra added.

As part of spreading awareness on alternative medicine, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has now developed an anti-diabetes drug made from Ayurvedic plant extracts. The BGR-34 anti-diabetic herbal drug is matching the efficacy level of any branded modern medicine in controlling sugar level, according to sources.

DIABETES IN INDIA

• World Diabetes Day is observed on November 14.
   
• India is on the verge of becoming a diabetes capital. 
   
• An increase in sale of high-cost diabetes medication has been found.
   
• There has been an overall escalation in the cost of treating diabetes in India.