November marks Diabetes Awareness Month—a time to spotlight the growing impact of diabetes and the urgent need for prevention, education, and equitable care. While public health campaigns often rely on broad statistics, real-world data (RWD) offers a deeper, more actionable lens. MarketScan databases, which capture longitudinal claims and clinical data from millions of lives, are helping researchers, health systems, and life sciences organizations uncover the real story behind diabetes in the U.S.
For pharmaceutical organizations focused on developing novel therapies, access to robust, longitudinal RWD is not merely advantageous—it is a critical component of the research and development lifecycle.
Real-world insights that drive change
Pharmaceutical researchers can utilize MarketScan to conduct comparative effectiveness studies, evaluating how a new therapy performs against existing treatments in a real-world context. These analyses are crucial for demonstrating differentiation and securing favorable formulary placement. Furthermore, the economic data within MarketScan—including costs associated with hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and concomitant medications—allows for sophisticated health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) modeling.
MarketScan data has been used to:
- Quantify the cost of complications — A 2025 study published by the American Diabetes Association used MarketScan Commercial data to track rising healthcare costs for commercially insured people with type 2 diabetes. It found that diabetes-related expenses grew 8% annually, reaching $6,389 per patient per year—accounting for nearly half of all cause healthcare costs by 2021.
- Track treatment trends — Research in diabetes care used MarketScan claims to show increased use of anti-VEGF therapies for diabetic macular edema (DME), reflecting evolving standards of care and opportunities for awareness around vision-related complications.
- Spot emerging risks — MarketScan data helped identify a spike in new-onset diabetes following COVID-19 infection, especially among hospitalized patients—prompting calls for post-acute screening and education.
Why MarketScan matters for awareness campaigns
Unlike clinical trial data, MarketScan reflects how diabetes is managed in everyday settings—across diverse populations, geographies, and payer types. This makes it ideal for targeting high-risk groups based on comorbidities, care gaps, or social determinants of health. It can also help with validating the impact of prevention programs like the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), and aid in supporting policy and advocacy with evidence of disparities in access, adherence, and outcomes.
Whether you’re a public health leader, pharma marketer, or digital health innovator, MarketScan can help you garner RWD that aids research on health outcomes and economic evaluations. As the fight against diabetes continues, the need for data-driven innovation has never been greater. By grounding awareness efforts in real-world evidence, we move beyond generic campaigns—and toward precision outreach that drives real change.
MarketScan offers the depth and scale required to navigate this complex therapeutic area, providing the evidence needed to accelerate discovery and improve patient outcomes. We supply the analytical foundation critical for developing therapies that meet regulatory standards and revolutionize how this chronic condition is managed, ultimately improving the lives of patients worldwide.
Connect with us today to learn how we can help.
