, Columnist
Cheaper Insulin Is a Big Victory for Patients
Political pressure and public scrutiny seem to be making a difference.
Photographer: George Frey/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
The debate over drug pricing has featured complicated arguments over profit, innovation, and fairness. At the end of the day, it’s all about patients being able to afford medicine – and Monday brought one of the biggest victories yet on that front.
Eli Lilly & Co. announced that it's launching an authorized generic version of its best-selling insulin Humalog and that the list price of the drug – the pre-discount sticker price of the medicine – will be 50 percent lower than the current prescription brand. A vial of the new cheaper product will cost $137.35.