Inasmuch as many diabetes patients eventually end up on dialysis, an alternative way of playing the global epidemic in diabetes is by investing in companies who participate in the dialysis business. After the spinoff of its pharma business in 1H15, BAX will derive a large proportion of its sales from dialysis.
NVO (as jbog mentioned) has long been a leader in diabetes, but its valuation is rather rich.
“The efficient-market hypothesis may be the foremost piece of B.S. ever promulgated in any area of human knowledge!”