Eli Lilly will limit insulin costs to $35 per month for patients in the US due to COVID-19
pharmafile | April 8, 2020 | News story | Research and Development | Eli Lilly, diabetes, insulin
Eli Lilly announced that it will limit out of pocket costs for insulin to $35 per month to offset the financial conditions created by the coronavirus.
This co-pay will cover both the insured and the uninsured but will not extend to Medicaid, Medicare or Medicare Part D patients. It will also include the Humalog injection.
Eli Lilly Diabetes President Mike Mason released a statement on Tuesday and said: “Too many people in the U.S. have lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 crisis, and we want to make sure no one goes without their Lilly insulin.
“We’ve been providing affordability solutions for a long time, but more is needed to help people during this unprecedented period. People with commercial insurance, as well as those without insurance at all, are eligible, and the process is quick and simple. We want people who need help to call us.”
This move was welcomed by patients sufferering from diabetes, with Aaron Kowalski and Thom Scher, CEOs of the non-profit JDRF-Beyond Type 1 Alliance, saying that: “Enabling a $35-per-month insulin co-pay regardless of employment status will help many Americans in this difficult time.”
This move has come after years of scrutiny on US drug manufacturers who produce Insulin. Eli Lilly currently charges $275 per vial, which is a $150 increase from 2011. Novo Nordisk is another company that has consistently raised the price of its Insulin, charging $93 per vial in 2009 increasing to $290 in 2019.
Some states have passed legislation to cap Insulin prices, with the Democratic legislature in Virginia passing a bill that forces insurers to cap insulin prices at $50 a month. The Trump administration has developed plans to cap the prices at $35 for Medicare patients to be tested next year.
Conor Kavanagh
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