Malaysian Diabetes Devices Market, Forecast to 2023

Diabetes is a growing concern globally, with more than 425 million people suffering the world over. Malaysia is no exception. It has a very high prevalence of about 16%; there were an estimated 3.57 million diabetics in the country in 2018. Unfortunately, only about 50% of this population is actually diagnosed, meaning half of those diabetics are diagnosed only at later stages, often after complications arise; complications that decrease quality of life but increase the cost of care.

As Malaysians are predominantly uninsured or do not have coverage for diabetes management devices, their glucose levels tend to be irregularly monitored. This results in even the diagnosed population developing health complications from the condition. The market potential for diabetes devices in Malaysia or other Asia-Pacific countries is huge but is hampered by access and affordability. For any company targeting these markets, it is crucial that it understands the current competitive landscape; reimbursement and regulatory policies; and the distribution structure, to determine its opportunity and the best go-to-market strategy.

There are four categories of medical devices that are crucial for diabetics: self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and the professional point-of-care testing (POCT); continuous glucose monitoring (CGM); insulin pens; and insulin pumps. Broadly, these devices can be classified under monitoring (SMBG, POCT, and CGM), and management (insulin pens and insulin pumps).

Most of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region import these devices. Multinational majors, and in the case of SMBG some low-cost manufacturers from China and Taiwan cater to the demand for diabetes devices. Some of the major names in the SMBG and POCT testing space are Roche, Abbott, LifeScan, and Ascensia Diabetes Care. In the case of CGM, Medtronic dominates Asia-Pacific, as global majors Dexcom and Abbott have not yet ventured into this region. The insulin pen segment is dominated by Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly, though a few other participants (for e.g., Biocon from India) may also be present, depending on the country in question. The insulin pump segment too is also dominated by Medtronic; however, the South Korean SOOIL Development is present in a few APAC countries. Medtronic supplies either a basic and/or an advanced version of its pumps, depending on the country in question. Other western players such as Insulet have not yet entered this market.

This study provides an in-depth view of each of the 4 segments: SMBG and POCT; CGM; insulin pens; and insulin pumps through the analyses of drivers, restraints, revenue forecasts, average selling prices of products and consumables, the market shares of top participants, their market strategies, and route to market. In addition, it provides a country-level overview of public health policies for diabetics, reimbursement and regulatory insights, and offers distribution insights by highlighting key distributors and growth opportunities in the country.

Author: Siddharth Shah