This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, the lifesaving drug for people living with diabetes. But a century later, insulin is still out of reach for half of the millions of people worldwide who need it. In most of the countries where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) works, insulin is not available in public health facilities or private pharmacies. Three manufacturers—Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly—control 90 percent of the global market, keeping prices unreasonably high.
The scientists who discovered insulin sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1, with the wish that the drug be accessible for all. To celebrate 100 years of insulin, let’s keep pushing to make affordable, effective diabetes treatment available to everyone who needs it.
