Meanwhile in Australia. Catastrophic scenario without "ultra-fast" insulin

Australia. Over 25.000 people (and number is rising) already signed petition to save Fiasp insulin from falling off the PBS. Guarantee access to all Australians living with diabetes depending on insulin to the adeguate healthcare is crucial for their day to day management of the chronic disease. 

It was Bionic Wookiee, sitting in front of me at ATTD 2023, thanks to the #dedoc voice scholarship program, saying the news from his homeland. You know, we, in Europe, small countries especially, tent to think across the ocean, everything is possible...therefore I'm always surprised to witness how many bad things and wrong decisions are there possible, too. 

zdroj: bionic wokiee

When thinking about diabetes and my daughter lifelong journey with it, I know David Burren will be one of the examples I'll show, why I always believed everything, even with #t1, is possible. (If some darker days maybe one day will come.) Reading news comfy from your safety zone it's far different than facing it from the person to whom this question affects personally.  Suddenly I realized I am worry for him to come back home... I am a mother of 7 year old girl that is using Fiasp insulin for daily management of her condition for nearly 2 years. Even if also I struggle to guarantee her access to the "ultra-fast" insulin, because in Italy, it's covered by insurance only for adults, I cannot immagine being "blocked in an island" and having no possibility to remedying. I cannot even immagine to use any slower insulin for her disease management. Or truly, I can... but... this in really very catastrophic scenario I prefer to don't think about it. Unfortunately this is a condition of the most children living in Italy with type 1 diabetes today. I touched a bit the topic previously here. And seems will be of thousands of Australians soon, too.

One can say aspart insulin as Novorapid (Novolog in US) still remains and can be used and exchanged without issues. Well, I already heard similar stories when asked Fiasp for my daughter in Italy...here I just have to point out, those who are telling that, have really no clue about what does it mean living with diabetes day by day 24/7, 365/365. The difference for the user, believe me, is extreme. You can read interesting point of view of David also in his article here.

Living with diabetes depending on insulin means constant artificial insulin delivery to survive. What companies from the industry have been trying to do for over 100 years now is to produce insulin that it is as close as possible to the human insulin produced by our body. This means a super fast onset and a fairly quick stop effect without stacking. Currently, Novonordisk with Fiasp insulin and Lilly with Lyumjev insulin have come closest to this.

Type 1 diabetes is not curable and prevention-able disease. If not treated properly, complications of diabetes have enormous impact on public healthcare costs. Even with the fastest insulin and the best technologies (and I know what what I am speaking about) people living with diabetes are not free from diabetes. Psychological, economical and social burden of person living with diabetes, (and their caregivers), is something we cannot immagine if not experiencing. 

According to T1Diabetes index there are over 120.000 people living in Australia with type 1 diabetes. Over 12.000 is the number of people who would still be alive if they hadn't died early due to complications from the condition. Every person loses 19 healthy years of life living with diabetes type 1 in Australia today. 

We already know it's not just about costs and the agreement between industries and governments is possible. We have seen it recently with Lilly and their price reductions of 70% for its most commonly prescribed insulins. This was possible also thanks to you and me, all of us, who have joined the call of T1International and #insulin4all advocacy. 

Our friends from Australia now are calling for help and I wish also this battle will not be lost. What I wish, too, is we won't have to fight anymore. No steps backward but forward while speaking about diabetes therapy. No battles but collaboration. To stop this epidemic becoming pandemic once at all. Because only if we put all our forces together, including the power of t1d community worldwide, we will be able to bring the change. And living the life without type 1 diabetes in the future. 

Meanwhile, please, you who have tools to bring the insulin to the people, remember Banting words: "Insulin belongs to the world." 

And you, to whom we have given our trust to carry out your civic mandate responsibly and for the benefit of us all, whenever in the world you are, do not forget to act in the name of the will of us. And please, now in Australia, that you have forgot about us, read some of the testimonials of people living with diabetes what does it mean for them having a choice to use daily Fiasp insulin in order to survive:

"Fiasp has given me by far, the best glycaemic control of my 32 years with T1 diabetes. Making Fiasp unaffordable just means that I'm more likely to require expensive medical services for kidney and eye disease  and sooner...." 

(Anthony)

"Insulin should be free." 

(Julie)

"I need this insulin due to alergic responses to many other insulins." (Janette)

"Because this medicine keeps my daughter alive." (Trish)

"This is a problem the PBS can fix." (David)

"This decision will hurt families and young children who benefit from the efficacy profile of this insulin. Health before greed." (Jamie)

"This shouldn't be only available to the small percentage who can afford full price - especially when the original patent was altruistically  for 1$." (Andrew)

"The thought of taking away the freedom Fiasp has given my 6 year old son, by not having to wait for at least 30 min before he can eat fills me with so much sadness and makes me unbelievable anxious. How can you explain to a little boy that he has to wait that long before he can have this lunch, a pice of chocolate or pretty much anything else  he wants to eat?! .... This decision will bring this unforgivable disease to the forefront of my son's mind multiple times a day, every day!" (Annie)

You can find more testimonials here.

I do believe the enormous mistake taken by Australian government will be fixed facing the clear evidence of the consequences that this decision bring to their citizens. And so, our friends  from Australia, US and elsewhere, will help us to join common advocacy forces. To bring this disease from current condition to living with diabetes without limiting us to make our dreams and our kids dreams come true. Having equal chances. Without age, country, race, social status or compensation numbers discrimination. To the reality humanity will live free from this disease.