Diabetes drugs’ market share almost doubled in the past decade: PMPRB

The market share of diabetes drugs almost doubled from 2012 to 2021, according to the latest information from the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) Market share of antidiabetic drugs rose from 4.2% to 7.9% of the overall drug market, with Canada posting the highest antidiabetic drug share of all the 11 comparator countries the PMPRB uses (the PMPRB11). The information was published in the organization’s Market Intelligence Report: Antidiabetic Drugs, 2012-2021. An increase in per-capita costs was the main growth driver. In 2021, Canada had the highest costs per capita of any country in the PMPRB11, at $71. That’s an increase of $26 since 2017—the largest growth per capita in the PMPRB11. That’s double the rise of the next highest country, Norway, which increased by $13, and much higher than the lowest, the Netherlands, which only saw an increase of $2. Other countries paid between half and two-thirds of Canadian prices for top-selling antidiabetic drugs in 2021. However, those numbers don’t include the cost savings that are part of confidential price agreements. Read: Low-carb diets increase risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke The per-capita increase was driven almost entirely by a shift towards new new-generation treatments that began with the introduction of Sitagliptin (Januvia) in 2007. By 2021, 71% of antidiabetic drug sales were new-generation drugs or non-insulin subclasses. But that’s not the only factor; the overall market also grew. The incidence of diabetes is decreasing in Canada, but the overall prevalence has risen. Canada has the second highest prevalence rate among the PMPRB11. About 9% of Canadians have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Of those, about 90% have Type 2 diabetes, 9% Type 1, and 1% gestational diabetes. The most significant potential cost savings during the period studied were the rise of biosimilars in the insulin market, driven by biosimilar switching policies instituted in public plans in B.C. and Alberta. Read: Finding your Niche: Making an impact in diabetes care

Diabetes drugs’ market share almost doubled in the past decade: PMPRB

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