In the major pharmaceutical markets alone, it is estimated that 52 million adults aged 20 or over had the disease in 2009, a figure expected to rise to 60 million in 2019.
The disease impacts industrialized countries most strongly, but changes in lifestyle, including in developing countries, have led to a dramatic increase in obesity worldwide, a significant risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes.
The worldwide pharmaceutical market for Type 2 diabetes, 75% of which is represented by oral antidiabetics, is expected to nearly double from $20 billion in 2009 to $36 billion in 2019.