Just one injection a week instead of one a day . A revolution in diabetes treatment that starts right from Italy, the first country in the world to make it available free of charge to patients. But not for everyone: because Sardinia is not yet on the list of regions that have approved the procedure to be able to prescribe it to patients.

The complaint comes from Stefano Garau , national vice president of FAND – Italian Diabetics Association and representative of people with diabetes in the regional diabetology consultation.

"The new insulin with weekly effect that improves the quality of life of people with diabetes was presented yesterday in Rome - explains Garau -. The reason is attributable to a reduction in injections from 365 per year (it is a basal insulin administered daily until now) to 52, like the number of weeks in a year ". But Sardinia does not appear, in fact, "in the list of Regions that have approved the procedure to be able to prescribe it to people with diabetes".

" Councillor Armando Bartolazzi - Garau adds - who recently guaranteed his commitment on diabetes and insulin, should immediately give substance to his words . Of all the Italian regions, only Sardinia, Sicily and Calabria have not yet approved the process . The numbers from Sardinia, the sad percentages that place us among the most affected in the world by the diabetes "pandemic" do not allow for any kind of distractions or bureaucratic slowdowns that have no reason to exist. We ask the Councilor to immediately give effect to his words spoken at the Diabetology Council and we hope that they can immediately be translated into concrete facts. Sardinia cannot remain at the rear of the queue when it comes to the health and quality of life of people with diabetes".

The Councilor's response was immediate, specifying: «I want to reassure all Sardinian diabetics who are waiting to be able to use weekly insulin: the drug, approved by Aifa on March 25, will be available for prescription in Sardinia from tomorrow».

" The authorization process will be concluded on June 13 with the signing of the determination that identifies the Diabetology Operating Units authorized to administer the drug on the island . Afterwards - continues the assessor - we will proceed with the tendering process, and with the subsequent phases of purchasing and supplying the drug".

THE NEW FEATURE – The new feature presented in Rome is also useful for those who have yet to start therapy and tend to prolong the time for fear of having to face what patients call "daily slavery". Insulin is a hormone necessary for the correct assimilation of sugars: in people with diabetes the body is no longer able to produce it or does not produce enough of it, thus damaging the heart, kidneys, eyes and nervous system. The administration of insulin compensates for this deficiency, but the delay in starting therapy still affects one in three patients . Furthermore, not everyone consistently follows the indications regarding the dosage, which until now required daily injections.

According to Riccardo Candido, president of the Association of Diabetes Doctors, this is the "first major therapeutic innovation in diabetes in over a century."

To simplify the regulations and also simplify access to medicines for patients, the government has started working on a consolidated text on pharmaceutical legislation .

(Unioneonline/vl)

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