Jun 30, 2021 06:00:00

'Bio-hackers' unite to develop insulin, which is soaring to 'January is over 100,000 yen'

Insulin, which is needed by diabetics, is facing a problem in the United States due to its soaring price. The Open Insulin Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to develop insulin on its own without relying on companies, is gradually expanding its circle of activity.

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The Open Insulin Foundation is an organization that was established in 2015 under the name of 'Open Insulin Project'. Anthony Di Franco, a computer scientist with type 1 diabetes , was hit by a wave of rising insulin prices and thought, 'If you make your own insulin, you can solve the problem of rising prices.' The organization, which is attended by 20 biochemists, is working with the goals of 'obtaining FDA approval for drugs developed by itself' and 'open source manufacturing recipes for hospitals and patients.' I will.

'If the drug is expensive, you can make it yourself', the biohacker group aims to develop patent-free insulin 'Open Insulin Project' --GIGAZINE

The reason why these activities are attracting a lot of attention is because of the rising price of insulin, which is a big problem in the United States. There are generally two types of insulin inoculation methods: a method of sucking out a formulation in a container called a vial with a syringe and injecting it into the body, and a method of using a pen-type device that uses a replacement needle. Even if the vial is cheaper than the pen type, the price per vial is about 160 dollars (about 18,000 yen) to about 450 dollars (about 50,000 yen), which is more than 10 times the price of other countries . .. Type 2 diabetics, who account for about 90% of diabetics, need to prepare about three vials a month and are expensive to buy consumables such as syringes.

There are various reasons for such prices, such as the complicated insurance system in the United States and the fact that 90% of the insulin market is monopolized by three major pharmaceutical companies. The American Diabetes Association also pointed out that the prevalence of diabetes among low-income earners has risen in recent years, and said that the House Energy and Commerce Committee would reduce insulin prices.

The Open Insulin Foundation has been developing insulin for six years, but has not achieved its goal. However, the Open Insulin Foundation raised $ 16,000 in crowdfunding when it was first launched, and on November 30, 2020, it was about $ 12,000 in crowdfunding. There are signs of major progress, including the approval

of the US Food and Drug Administration for the protocol to collect and manufacture syringes. The Open Insulin Foundation estimates that insulin prices are kept at 2% of the major companies and can be offered at low prices of $ 5 to $ 15 per vial.

'Our plan is to create a local production system that can be operated anywhere in the area where it is needed,' Franco said, working in collaboration with academic institutions and NGOs.