Frederick M. Abbott (Florida State University), Padmashree Gehl Sampath (Harvard University), A Competition Law Approach to Accessing Insulin (Working Paper, United Nations Dev. Programme (2022):
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2016, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6 million deaths globally. Estimates also suggest that in 2018, only half of the 63.3 million people globally with type 2 diabetes needing insulin had access. In addition, the lack of access is disproportionately distributed across regions, with some developing countries having the least access to insulin. The barriers to accessing insulin are diverse and often context-specific, but low competition in the supply and production of insulin and its high prices are key limitations in the insulin market.