Pakistani diabetes medicines match multinational brands: experts

A study conducted locally and shown at PESCON 2026 concluded that Pakistani biosimilar diabetes medicines match multinational products in blood glucose control and weight loss, according to Business Recorder. The results were unveiled on the closing day of the conference, the 24th yearly gathering of the Pakistan Endocrine Society. Experts there said the local alternatives cost roughly a quarter of multinational brands, which could widen access for lower-income patients.

Dr Nauman Niaz, a consultant endocrinologist, presented the research, which reported nearly identical falls in average blood glucose of 1.42 percent for the local medicine and 1.39 percent for the reference product. Average weight loss was about 5.4 kg in both groups, corresponding to reductions of 6.3 percent for one group and 6.2 percent for the other. Some 63.4 percent of patients on the local drug and 61.7 percent on the international product lost at least 5 percent of their body weight.

Run in everyday clinical settings, the study noted comparable cardiometabolic effects, and 92.9 percent of participants were still on treatment at week 52. Dr S. Abbas Raza called it a sin to prescribe expensive branded drugs to those who cannot pay, and urged a sustainable supply model. Figures shared at the session put adults living with diabetes at 34.5 million, while Prof. Khurshid Ahmad Khan credited local drugmakers with easing costs for poorer patients.