Are we at the mercy of pharmaceutical companies? Novo Nordisk pulling out of Greece!

Anna's Blog
By: FatCatAnna

The Roller Coaster Ride of Diabetes! Whoo! Whoo!

I am a Type 1 diabetic diagnosed back in the early 60's as a child. I am living in Montreal, Canada and enjoy scribbling about diabetes from time to time. I’ve had my ups / downs just like any person would experience with going through life - diabetic or not. My motto in life? Diabetes does not control me – I control it!!

You can find more posts/discussions at my Facebook page called "The Roller Coaster Ride of Diabetes" and also on Twitter under the name of FatCatAnna. Feel free to follow me at both places or send me a private message!

<< May 2010 >>

	Blog Entries
The joys of having Bowie my CGMS – Chapter 1 - Sep 02 Okay, for those of you who have never read my #dblogs before, I give names to all my little gizmos that I use for controlling my diabetes. What we have today, ... more
In a slump and scared - Jul 21 It’s rare for me to compose a #dblog that is not all “chirpy chirpy” … I think the last time I did one that was kind of down was at Diabetes1.org ... more
Surviving the Holocaust with Type 1 diabetes - Mar 27 " To the best of my knowledge, I am the only diabetic who survived years of imprisonment in German concentration camps. This is my story " The above words ... more
Sugar and Your Health - Mar 06 The other day I emptied out a 4 kg (about 10 lbs) of white sugar that I had dated a year ago when I opened it. I use white sugar purely for cooking (I make my own ... more
Eating from the ground - Yuca Fries - Feb 20 I am home now from a working holiday, in the Bahamas and Miami. Despite the weather being abit cooler then normal (they only get 2 weeks of winter - we were there in ... more

Posted: May 29, 2010 14:22	3 Comments.
Are we at the mercy of pharmaceutical companies? Novo Nordisk pulling out of Greece!

Novopen Junior

I use Novo Nordisk insulin for the control of my diabetes (NovoRapid here in Canada). I just read online that the Danish company is objecting to Greece's decision to decree ordering a 25% price cut in all medicines.

Because of this price cut - Novo Nordisk would run at a loss for supplying their product to diabetics who NEED their insulin products to maintain life! To top it all off, the company feels that if Greece can do this, then other countries will follow suite. OMG, I am just overwhelmed with emotions with knowing that in order to survive we diabetics are at the mercy of the pharmaceutical companies (note to self - stop looking through rose-coloured glasses - wake up and smell the .... $$$ MONEY $$$).

More than 50,000 Greeks with diabetes use Novo Nordisk's product, which is injected via an easy-to-use fountain pen-like device. I love this device, as I'm sure many of you feel the same way. To use regular needles is a pain in the bleep bleep bleep.

To read more about this story - which I felt deserved to be posted on my blog page - go to this link (or if you prefer - cut/paste the following link into a new browser window - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10189367.stm )

Oh, and to add more fuel to the fire - Novo Nordisk will compensate by making available glucagen (used to treat low blood sugars in emergency situations only) free of charge. I think with the removal of their insulin products, that diabetics maybe having the reverse - high blood sugars!

Comments (3):

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By: AmariT: Jun, 04, 2010 13:59 PM

Have you considered that it's not the pharmaceutical companies at fault, but Greece's government for forcing them to cut their prices by 25%?

By: FatCatAnna: May, 31, 2010 14:30 PM

Another pharmaceutical company from Denmark is now also pulling out of Greece. I can't believe this! Leo Pharma said it decided to stop offering two popular drugs because the price cuts would cause job losses across Europe. To read more about this (short read) - go to this link

If you go to the link for Leo Pharma is attempting to find alternative drugs for the Greek market, but still, so unfair. We didn't ask to become diabetic, and why should we suffer when companies are pulling out due to their profit loss.

From what I can tell from Leo Pharma they seem to deal in skin disorders, e.g. diabetic dermopathy which is a skin disorder that causes changes in the small blood vessels. I've had this before in the past when I was younger, with patches on the front of my leg. No discomfort, but irritating, and infection can occur if the patches open up. I still have the scars to prove it!

By: FatCatAnna: May, 29, 2010 18:28 PM

UPDATE - "PLEASE STOP NOVO NOW!"

Global Diabetic Awareness Community which is run by Mark Clifford and Thomas Moore have created a petition with the following message -

"It's a human right to have access to the medication which works the best for the individual! It's a well known fact not everyone do well with Lantus or Humalog just to mention two kinds of insulin!

For some people, NovoNordisk insulin works best! Insulin dependent diabetics don't choose to be insulin dependent and having to take needles daily, they don't choose diabetes. Diabetes choose them! Don't take their lifeline and quality of life from them!"

Please go to this link - or paste it in a new browser window with the following - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-novo-now

*********

Maybe I can get my friend Jennie who says she lives close by to the headquarters in Copenhagen to pop by and put a human face to the petition!

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Are we at the mercy of pharmaceutical companies? Novo Nordisk pulling out of Greece!

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