Delays in Access to Innovative Diabetes Therapies: A Persistent Inequity in Latin America

Diabetes care has undergone a significant transformation in the last 15 years due to the introduction of new medications and technologies. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor analogs (GLP-1 RA) are now a forefront drug in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity ( 1, 2 ). Real-world studies have consistently shown the superiority of automatic insulin delivery (AID) over multiple daily insulin therapy in attaining optimal glucose levels in people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) ( 3 ), leading to recommendations of offering this system to all individuals with T1D ( 4 ). However, these recommendations have not reached all of the people living with diabetes who could benefit from these innovations. The sources of disparities in access to new technologies and medications have been reported ( 5 ). Still, here we describe the absence of commercial availability of novel treatments in some countries, even in some high-income ones, as a new source of inequality.