EGYPT —In a promising collaboration, Eli Lilly and Egyptian manufacturer EVA Pharma have joined forces to make insulin more accessible in sub-Saharan Africa.
The partnership aims to produce thirty million doses of insulin by 2030, enabling the distribution of this life-saving medication across the region.
Eli Lilly will supply EVA Pharma with the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of insulin at a significantly reduced price, facilitating faster and more affordable production.
Additionally, Eli Lilly will provide pro-bono technology transfer to assist EVA Pharma in formulating, filling, and finishing insulin vials and cartridges.
This initiative aligns with Eli Lilly’s global commitment to providing 30 million insulin doses by 2030 through its 30×30 initiative, which seeks to enhance healthcare access for 30 million people annually in less affluent nations.
Diabetes: A pressing concern in Africa
Diabetes has emerged as a rapidly escalating health crisis in Africa, with significant challenges in diagnosis and access to life-saving insulin. Currently, an estimated 3-4 million Africans are living with diabetes, but shockingly, less than 50% of them are aware of their condition.
If current trends persist, the number of Africans affected by diabetes is projected to skyrocket to 54 million by 2045, representing a staggering 144% increase.
This surge in diabetes rates is the highest globally, with Egypt being particularly impacted by this alarming trend.
Tragically, diabetes-related deaths claimed the lives of 416,000 people in Africa in 2021 alone. Hyperglycemia in pregnancy affects one out of every eight live births on the continent, further exacerbating the diabetes burden.
Moreover, Africa has the second lowest diabetes-related expenditure globally, with only US$13 billion allocated to address this pressing issue.
On a country level, Egypt ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest estimated prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 20-79 in 2021. Additionally, Algeria and Morocco are among the top 10 countries with the highest proportion of individuals aged 0-19 affected by type 1 diabetes.
Africa also faces a significant challenge in diagnosing diabetes, as the continent leads the world in undiagnosed cases.
Alarmingly, only 46% of people living with diabetes in Africa are aware of their status, compared to the global average of 55%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes this to various barriers, including limited testing facilities and equipment, insufficient numbers of trained healthcare professionals, inadequate access to health facilities, and a lack of awareness.
Even for those who have been diagnosed with diabetes in Africa, accessing life-saving insulin is far from guaranteed.
Resource-constrained countries with inadequate manufacturing and distribution capabilities struggle to meet the growing demand, leaving many patients without the essential medication they need to manage their condition.
Taking action to revolutionize access to diabetes treatments
In response to this growing challenge, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Diabetes Compact, which collaborates with companies to expand access to diabetes treatments.
Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, Director of the Non-communicable Disease (NCD) Programme at the WHO, commended the initiative and its potential to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to NCDs.
Early diagnosis, treatment, and universal health coverage are crucial in managing diabetes, as NCDs account for 74% of global deaths.
EVA Pharma CEO Riad Armanious revealed that the agreement with Eli Lilly was signed in December, and his company has been diligently building its manufacturing capacity over the past five months to produce insulin.
Several key figures expressed support for the collaboration. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, shared a personal connection to the cause, as his father passed away due to a lack of access to insulin.
He emphasized that only 30% of therapeutics used in Africa are currently manufactured on the continent and announced plans to convene a meeting of African leaders and local manufacturers in July.
Dr. Loyce Pace, US Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services, acknowledged similar challenges in accessing insulin in the United States and reaffirmed her country’s commitment to improving the global supply.
She shared the unfortunate loss of her mother-in-law in The Gambia due to the unavailability of insulin.
EVA Pharma’s previous collaboration with Gilead in 2020 to supply COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir at a significantly reduced cost demonstrates its commitment to affordable healthcare solutions.
By offering the drug at roughly US$500 per treatment course compared to US$5,000 in the US, EVA Pharma played a crucial role in providing remdesivir to 127 countries in Africa.
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