 |
| Diabetes behind bulging hospital budgets: new report |
AIHW reports diabetes hospitalisations are rising | Diabetes can lead to other serious illnesses and is contributing to skyrocketing health system costs, according to a recent study.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, published in August, reveals over a third of diabetes-related hospitalisations could be prevented with better non-hospital care, such as consistent insulin treatment.
This confirms the major market opportunity Apollo Life Sciences has identified for its possible world-first insulin in a tablet. Until now, insulin has only been able to be taken by injection - up to 1,500 per person, per year.
The AIHW report found hospitalisations related to diabetes rose by 20% between 2001 and 2004, with patients staying in hospital three times longer than average.
People with diabetes are most likely to be hospitalised not because of diabetes itself, but because of circulatory diseases like strokes and heart attacks that are linked to diabetes.
"This report reinforces why Apollo Life Sciences is working hard to develop an insulin that can be taken orally," said Apollo CEO John Priest.
Patients with diabetes are on average a much higher burden on the health system than people with many other conditions. Up to 80% of the country's 1.1 million diabetics will die of heart disease or stroke. Cardiovascular disease makes up 11% of all health spending - or over $5.4 billion annually.
"Proper management of diabetes would reduce the risk of complications and decrease the burden on the health system," Mr Priest said. "Apollo's convenient, painless oral delivery technology would help needle-phobic patients stick to their recommended insulin treatments. We believe there will be considerable market for the technology."
Apollo's oral insulin technology will shortly enter clinical trials with the Australian Diabetes Institute. |
|
|
| click to subscribe |
|
 |
| www.apollolifescience.com |
