Let the show begin
Yes in a few a days the diabetes world will gather in Beantown for the annual ADA conference. A conference which always seems to bring with it a fair share of wackiness. As per usual Diabetic Investor will be in attendance reporting it all yet this year we’ve added a new tool, well new to Diabetic Investor anyway, as subscribers can now follow the wackiness on twitter. Yes Diabetic Investor has a twitter account – @diabetic_invstr.
As we prep for this year’s craziness we can’t help but wonder how long this conference will remain relevant. Given the changing dynamics of the diabetes market it should surprise no one that this conference is no longer considered a must attend event. As we’ve stated in the past other conferences – CES, HiMSS and mHealth – are now must attend events. ADA and the upcoming AADE conference in August have become secondary events, nice to be at but not must attend events.
Looking back in time Diabetic Investor cannot exactly pinpoint when ADA and AADE began their demise but the fact remains if changes aren’t made and made soon these events will become obsolete. Still there are several very compelling stories as we head into the conference. Here are just a few we plan on focusing on.
The continuing evolution of interconnected diabetes management (IDM) is a high priority item but not for the reasons many may believe. As we’ve been stating for some time IDM is not a technology story as the technology exists already. Yes this technology can and will improve but it is not the main hurdle IDM faces. We continue to believe that it is not a question of if IDM will be used but when and how it will be used.
The way we see it IDM has two main hurdles to overcome. The first being the transformation from fee for service to outcomes based reimbursement. The second is the adoption of diabetes management systems not individual pieces of the system.
Another compelling storyline is the changing nature of the diabetes drug market. As it stands today there is no drug or company that isn’t facing issues. While Lilly (NYSE:LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) have reestablished themselves as the leaders in the diabetes market they are not immune to the changing dynamics of this market. A market where payors have the upper hand when it comes to pricing and formulary position which translates into market share wins or loses.
AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) and Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) have more serious issues. Now that two of Astra’s drugs have come under attack the company has is back to being dependent on Bydureon. Sanofi continues to struggle with the upcoming Lantus patent expiration while Afrezza and Toujeo are off to less than stellular starts. As we have noted in the past both companies have some serious decisions to make.
Frankly we aren’t expecting any major news from the device side which likely means that will be the biggest story of the show.
Whatever develops Diabetic Investor will be writing and tweeting – why does this sound so strange – each and every day. So let the show begin.
