How has use of insulin changed over the last five years in people with diabetes? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Insulin costs have been cited as a case in point for out of control pharmaceutical prices. Now a study by Rita Kalyani, a diabetes expert at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues, shows that in fact, a survey of insulin use over the last five years reveals that the most expensive formulations are being used most often.

Kalyani: What we found during this five year period was that more than 80% were for analog insulin use, over the past five years. We know that analog insulins are also associated with higher costs, they are the insulins that have been found to be main drivers of price increases for insulin over the past few years. We found that insulin glargine represented the majority throughout this time period as well. And that biosimilar insulins, which have been introduced over the past two to three years have been slowly gaining in the number of insulin users.  :33

Kalyani says there are compelling reasons to use the newer insulins for many, but that cost must be weighed. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.