All three pharmaceutical companies that manufacture insulin in the United States have made major reductions in pricing. These changes include those paying with commercial insurance and cash paying patients. Here are the details, and it's HUGE NEWS!
Eli Lilly as of March 1, 2023 via PRNewswire
"Effective immediately, Lilly will automatically cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 at participating retail pharmacies for people with commercial insurance using Lilly insulin.
People who don't have insurance can continue to go to InsulinAffordability.com and immediately download the Lilly Insulin Value Program savings card to receive Lilly insulins for $35 per month.
Eli Lilly Insulin Value Program card can be found here.
Additional details:
Cutting the list price Insulin Lispro Injection 100 units/mL, to $25 a vial. Effective May 1, 2023,
Cutting the list price of Humalog® and Humulin® injection by 70%, effective in Q4 2023.
Launching RezvoglarTM injection, a biosimilar to, and interchangeable with, Lantus® for $92 per five pack of KwikPens®, a 78% discount to Lantus, effective April 1, 2023."
For link to full press release from Eli Lilly on their website, please click here.
My pharmacy misunderstood and stated my insurance did not cover my Lilly insulin. I went to another pharmacy and found out that I just needed a prior authorization and then I was able to get my insulin pen for $35. If you get a no from your pharmacy, try another pharmacy or call the insulin company for clarification
Novo Nordisk as of March 14, 2023
"Novo Nordisk Inc. today announced it is lowering the U.S. list prices of several insulin products by up to 75%. Products include both pre-filled pens and vials of basal (long-acting), bolus (short-acting) and pre-mix insulins, specifically Levemir®, Novolin®, NovoLog® and NovoLog® Mix 70/30." These changes will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
Current Offerings Include:
Novo Nordisk commercial co-pay card for eligible commercial patients.
My$99Insulin: A 30-day supply of a combination of insulin products (up to three vials or two packs of pens) for $99, equating to $33/vial or $49.50/pack of pens.
For the full article from Novo Nordisk on their website, please click here.
Sanofi, March 16, 2023
"Sanofi announces that it will cut the list price of Lantus (insulin glargine injection) 100 Units/mL, its most widely prescribed insulin in the U.S., by 78 percent. The company also will establish a $35 cap on out-of-pocket costs for Lantus for all patients with commercial insurance." This goes into effect January 1, 2024.
Sanofi savings programs currently:
100% of commercially insured people are eligible for Sanofi’s copay assistance programs, regardless of income or insurance plan design, which, in 2022 limited out-of-pocket expenses for a majority of participating patients to $15 or less for their diabetes medicines for a 30-day supply.
100% of uninsured people are eligible for the Insulins Valyou Savings Program (click here)– regardless of income level – enabling them to buy one or multiple Sanofi insulins at $35 for a 30-day supply. The Soliqua (insulin glargine and lixisenatide) injection 100 Units/mL and 33 mcg/mL cash offer also allows uninsured people to pay as little as $99 per box of pens, for up to two boxes of pens for a 30-day supply.
For the full article from Sanofi on their website, click here.
Did the cost of insulin just magically go down?
There are several reasons we are seeing price reductions, in my opinion.
Legislation
* Potential legislation to cap the price of insulin. In 2022, insulin was capped for Medicare recipients at $35. This year, there have already been two bills introduced.
March 23, 2023
The Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023: A bi-partisan drafted bill by Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana to cap the price of insulin for $35 for all. This includes cash patients. For the full press release, please click here.
March 9, 2023
Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Cori Bush introduced a bill to cap insulin at $20 per vial, regardless of insurance status. For the full press release, click here.
Competition
March 19, 2023
Non-profit Civica Rx teams up with the State of California to manufacture insulin.
"The state-label insulins will cost no more than $30 per 10 milliliter vial, and no more than $55 for a box of five pre-filled pen cartridges — for both insured and uninsured patients. The medicines will be available nationwide, the governor's office said." For the full article, please click here.
Cap it Legally
Additionally, capping insulin by law is necessary so this never happens again. The patent for insulin was sold in 1923 for $1 because they inventors stated it belonged to the world. In the last twenty years insulin has gone up over 600%. Insulin dependent people have been paying up to $1000 per month for their life saving insulin. Insulin dependent means, you cannot live without insulin. Without insulin, you will die. I am insulin dependent and am an outspoken advocate for affordable insulin for all those who need it. (See my press page for my speeches I have given.) Statistically, one in five people have been rationing their insulin due to the cost.
For the articles on insulin prices and rationing:
*Please note, check with pharmaceutical company on insulins and their pricing. I am a person who uses insulin. This information is from said companies website. For any inaccuracy, check with the insulin company. I am not a doctor. I am a person with Type 1 Diabetes.
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