For people using insulin, the skyrocketing cost of the life-saving drug has been a barrier to accessibility and resulted in the deaths of insulin-using people who could not afford their medications.
Today in the USA, Eli Lilly has lowered the price of its unbranded Insulin Lispro product to $25, and capped out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month per type of insulin at participating retail pharmacies for people with commercial insurance.
It will be the lowest list-priced mealtime insulin available and less than the price of a Humalog vial from 1999.
The change goes into effect on May 1, 2023.
Uninsured patients will still need to go to InsulinAffordability.com and download the Lilly Insulin Value Program savings card to receive Lilly insulins for $35 per month.
Also notable, Lilly is launching RezvoglarTM (insulin glargine-aglr)in April 2023. It’s basal insulin that is biosimilar to, and interchangeable with, Lantus® (insulin glargine) injection for $92 per five-pack of KwikPens®, a 78% discount to Lantus.
So, there will eventually be some price relief for patients with long-acting insulin.
Lilly will also cut the list price of Humalog® (insulin lispro injection) 100 units/mL1, Lilly’s most commonly prescribed insulin, and Humulin® (insulin human) injection 100 units/mL by 70%, effective in Q4 2023.
What Is Insulin Lispro Injection U-100? And how is it different than Lilly’s Humalog product?
Because it’s the same molecule as Humalog® (insulin lispro injection), Lilly’s Insulin Lispro Injection U-100 helps control natural blood sugar spikes at mealtime.
Lilly’s Insulin Lispro Injection U-100 (a fast-acting insulin) manages those blood sugar spikes and may help keep your sugar levels in balance. It is advised that this insulin is taken within 15 minutes before eating or right after a meal.
Insulin Lispro Injection is different than your long-acting insulin. Long-acting insulin helps control your blood sugar throughout the whole day.
Talking to your doctor about when and how often you should check your blood sugar levels is important.
The future of insulin pricing
It remains to be seen what this might mean for the cost of other labels, or what other Insulin manufacturers will do to follow suit and make insulin more affordable for patients across the board.
