https://mailchi.mp/175f8e6507d2/the-weekly-gist-march-3-2023?e=d1e747d2d8

On Wednesday, Indianapolis, IN-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced that it will cut its list price for both Humalog and Humulin, its two most commonly prescribed insulin products, by 70 percent. While these changes will go into effect later this year, the company is also immediately expanding its Insulin Value Program, available at participating pharmacies for the commercially insured and upon program enrollment for the uninsured, to match Medicare Part D’s $35 per month out-of-pocket insulin cap. Eli Lilly shared that 30 percent of the US’s 8M insulin users rely on its products, though the company is only cutting prices for its older insulin products.

The Gist: Nearly 30 percent of uninsured and 20 percent of commercially insured insulin users in the US report having to ration their doses due to cost concerns.While it still won’t be providing its insulin for free, as some have demanded, Lilly’s move should help the company gain market share, in addition to generating some good PR—and it’s expected that other large insulin manufacturers will be pressured to follow suit. 

But even if a $35 out-of-pocket cap was adopted nationally, Americans would still be paying three times more for their insulin than people in comparable countries.