In line with America’s growing obesity problem, I believe the diabetes treatment industry stands to perform well. Diabetes, the fastest growing disease in the country, is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. The disease is often a result of obesity and or a lack of physical exercise, and unfortunately at this time there is no cure. Today, almost 36% of the American adult population is obese, and this number is expected to grow in the years ahead. The American Diabetes Association expects that at current rates, one out of three Americans, and one in two minorities, will develop diabetes in their lifetime. In this article, I would like to highlight a couple of companies I expect to benefit from this unfortunate trend.
Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY) discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceutical products for humans and animals. The company’s products are sold in countries around the world. Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY)’s deep portfolio of medications includes anti-infectives, cardiovascular agents, oncology products, animal health products, and obesity-related medications. Currently, the company has 12 major diabetes drugs in phase 1 through 3 trials. Empagliflozin, the company’s potential blockbuster diabetes medication, is awaiting results from its FDA regulatory review. If approved, Empagliflozin would treat Type 2 diabetes patients via inhibiting a sodium glucose co-transporter, SGLT 2, responsible for 90 percent of glucose reabsorption into the blood. Empagliflozin would reduce blood glucose by blocking reabsorption into the kidney and thereby excreting glucose through urine. Proven successful, I expect this medication to jump the final regulatory hurdle in the near future. Additionally, Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY) is well diversified and stands to benefit from rising health care costs in general. The company has 57 non-diabetes related treatments currently progressing through the regulatory process.
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT), the world’s largest medical device maker, has been committed to helping patients with diabetes for the last 25 years. Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) offers the only FDA-approved integrated diabetes management system. The innovative system includes insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors (CGM), and therapy management software. Insulin pumps are devices that deliver precise doses of rapid-acting insulin to closely match the body’s needs. Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) is the only manufacturer that provides patients a pump integrated with continuous glucose monitoring. The result is better care and safety for users of Medtronic products. As the number of people with diabetes grows, the demand for technologically advanced treatments will follow close. Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) stands to benefit from this trend as the company offers the best management system currently available. In addition to the diabetes segment, the company is diversified across a range of other medical devise industries such as endovascular therapies, neuromodulation, and surgical technologies.
