On the heels of Eli Lilly taking a stock hit (when a fake “verified” account on Twitter made it seem like the pharma giant would reverse its policies and give insulin away for free), NBC News is carrying the story of California partnering with the pharmaceutical nonprofit Civica Rx to produce insulin for wayyyy less than Eli Lilly has been charging patients:
At least $50 million of [Gov. Gavin] Newsom’s budget would allow the state and its private partner to get insulin onto the state’s market as quickly as possible and make sure residents can get access to it, the sources said. More than 3 million people in California have been diagnosed with diabetes, and thousands more may have it but don’t know it, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Civica Rx, a nonprofit company in Lehi, Utah, said in March that it plans to make and sell generic versions of insulin to consumers at no more than $30 per vial and no more than $55 for a box of five pen cartridges.
In July, Newsom said Californians pay $300 to $500 a month out of pocket for insulin.
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A study published last month in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that over 1 million people in the U.S. with diabetes skipped, delayed or used less insulin than was needed to save money.