Insulin for diabetes: 100 years of therapy

Abstract

January 2022 marks 100 years since insulin was first successfully used to treat diabetes in humans. Everyone with type 1 diabetes – except those who have received pancreas or islet-cell transplants – and more than half of people with type 2 diabetes use insulin to manage their diabetes. Instead of being seen as a death sentence, type 1 diabetes is now seen as a long-term condition that can be self-managed for people with access to insulin and glucose monitoring technology. However, many people living with diabetes around the world are still unable to access affordable insulin, technologies and the support needed to self-manage their diabetes.