After 100 years of life, is there an insulin crisis? The problem of insulin costs and the opportunity of biosimilar insulins

Considering other pharmacological approaches, also in the field of insulin therapy, the use of biosimilar drugs instead of originators could help to reduce the worldwide increasing costs of its related disease, that is, diabetes mellitus (DM), and the subsequent risk of insulin underutilization. Available evidences clearly demonstrate that biosimilar efficacy and safety are superimposable to those of the originator insulin with lower expenditure; despite this, however, their underutilization persists both in Eastern and in Western countries. Specific, regional activities are needed in order to improve biosimilar insulin use and to contribute to a substantial reduction of the costs of DM.