Apparently Humalog's patent runs out in May 2013, but there are some other issues as it is considered a 'biologic' medication.
It seems biological drugs are further protected beyond their patent age (12 years to be exact) by law, meaning that even if a generic is produced, it would then be treated like a brand new drug and subject to FDA approval all over again. Even though it is the same.
Seems to be an argued point as to why this law would exist. We have the sunshine happy angle that a company wouldn't spend such a large amount of money setting up a facility at all if they weren't protected in having the mass market to recoup costs if any old person could make it so soon after patenting...
Then again you could also argue that it's simply a paid for corrupt law that gives them the full market majority for no other reason than they're rich. It would also from this perspective create a standstill on those drugs where no further development would be deemed needed as it's already completely profitable. Literally like printing money.
That's great, but it's Medicare with whatever supplemental plan.
I'm on a Blue Shield PPO which I pay for out of pocket. My situation is different and my plan is pretty good but for the cost of insulin. Glad yours in comprehensive. That's the way it should be for all of us. Unfortunately, it's not.
Haha! Well, I can't say that I *care* now, but I do remember it. :-)
Though the fact that I was newly diagnosed and already a self-conscious and shy 10 year old may have something to do with why I remember. If someone made a comment like that to me now, I'm sure I wouldn't remember it in 22 years. Haha.
Sometimes we can just be hit with the last straw. The endo told us we had to go in for yearly labs. For some weird reason it just hit me that my kid would get one MORE poke on top of ALL the other pokes. Two days later that hit me when I was looking at the paperwork and I just cried for about an hour. I know its stupid but it just hit me like the last straw!
