Drug maker Eli Lilly is increasing its efforts to get a larger share of the diabetes market, Reuters reports.
The story says Lilly is now the fourth-largest diabetes drug manufacturer, with 10.6 percent market share. That puts it behind Denmark’s Novo Nordisk , France’s Sanofi and the U.S.A.’s Merck & Co.
Lilly is looking to change that position, with dozens of medications in development. Among them is the experimental once-weekly injection dulaglutide, for which the company is seeking approval.
Dulaglutide is part of a class of medicines called GLP-1 agonists that includes the company’s widely used Byetta, and which have generated some health concerns lately. Byetta, along with Merck’s Januvia, has been linked to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Byetta has also been linked to an increased risk of thyroid cancer.
But according to Reuters, the diabetes market is a very attractive prize for pharmaceutical companies right now. Diabetes rates are rising globally as a result of growing obesity rates, and treatment of the disease is increasingly passing to general practitioners from a smaller group of specialist doctors.
The current global diabetes drug market comes to about $40 billion. By 2016, that could go as high as $53 billion.
You should consult with a doctor if you have any ongoing symptoms or health concerns, and before making any changes in medication. You should also consult with a Lopez McHugh attorney if you or a loved one was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after taking Januvia or Byetta.
See the story here:
https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/03/lilly-diabetes-idUSL6N0DJ3WJ20130503
