I am sure this topic has been discussed before on TuD, but it annoys me so much that US residents cannot get the necessary insulin that they need, and some are dying for that reason.
There are thousands of diabetics in the US who use insulin, and they do not have insurance. The cost of a vial of insulin can run as high as $400 per vial. I use one vial per month, so that would cost $4800 per year if I had to pay out of pocket. Some people use a lot more insulin than I do. There are very few of these uninsured people who can afford to buy their own insulin. I would like to see a much cheaper generic form of insulin in the near future, one that is affordable to these individuals. There is some progress being made on generic insulins, but it may take several more years before it becomes available. Here is a link about the development of generic insulins. There are difficulties that exist in making these generic insulins cheap. Here is the link (Link Fixed):
Patents expiring on the analogs is encouraging, but it’s a long road to actually seeing a generic analog. I keep a couple years worth of generic R and NPH just in case SHTF in my fridge… Cost only a few hundred dollars at Walmart
When I was uninsured (2007-2013), I used Novolin N and R because they require no prescription. I paid anywhere from $17 to $30 per vial depending on where I bought it. I live in central California.
Actually the answer is a lot more complicated than the WebMd article suggests. The term “Generic” as defined by the FDA requires the “same” active ingredient. This is clear with a chemical but is confusing with a biological product. Insulin is a biological product, so the FDA has actually had to develop a new concept for comparable and substitutable products for biologicals, that is where we get “biosimilars.” Novolin and Humulin are biosimilars. There was a biosimilar for Lantus developed in India and Lilly is poised to introduce biosimilar in Europe that is a cheaper version of Lantus. But sadly because biosimilars are likely to require higher hurdles to get FDA approval in the US (i.e. more studies and more investment) then it is likely that we won’t see biosimilar insulin’s on Walmart’s $4/month prescription list. They will probably be priced somewhere between branded/patented insulin products and the Novolin and Humulin products.
It’s so ridiculous. I understand the need for safety, etc. But there has to be a way to insure safety in medicine as well as safety from greed and stupidity. Right? I’m just so tired of seeing high prices where you know the majority of that money is just going into personal pockets.
This is one of those areas where I tend to think back to Woody Allen’s closing comment after the Marshall McLuhan cameo in his film “Annie Hall”.
