Neeraj Sood

The U.S. and New Zealand are the only countries that allow direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements. In the U.S., television viewers are subjected to an especially increasing volume of drug commercials. In 1996, $550 million was spent by pharmaceutical companies on drugs ads. That number increased more than 10-fold by 2020, reaching $6.58 billion annually.

Developed over 100 years ago, insulin is a life-saving medication for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Since its discovery, many varieties of insulin have become available, allowing individuals with diabetes to live long, high-quality lives. Today, almost 11% of the U.S. population has diabetes and 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed every year; one in three adults has prediabetes. Approximately 9.3 million Americans take insulin to manage their condition.