Today, Eli Lilly and Company announced it will begin selling a generic version of its most commonly prescribed insulin — Humalog® — for half the name-brand’s cost. The lower-priced version will be called Insulin Lispro.
What This Means for People with Type 1 Diabetes
- Insulin Lispro will be available in vial and pen options. The list price for a vial will be $137.25.
- Vials and pens of Insulin Lispro have been manufactured, and Lilly is now working with supply chain partners to make them available in pharmacies as quickly has possible.
- Humalog will still be available.
While this is an important step forward, we know more must be done.
Breakthrough T1D will keep fighting until insulin is accessible and affordable to everyone who needs it. This week, Breakthrough T1D volunteers will head to Capitol Hill to meet with over 400 members of Congress to advocate for insulin affordability. In the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to urge drug companies, health plans, employers and the government to take immediate actions to lower the price of insulin and cover insulin as the life-saving drug that it is.
Breakthrough T1D has called for an end to the drug rebate system, which drives up the list price of insulin and reduces choice. Several large health plans already have agreed to share rebates with people with diabetes, and in January, the government proposed ending the use of rebates in federally funded health programs.
Stay tuned for updates and read more here on the principles we will continue advocating to ensure that insulin is affordable and critical innovation continues.
Breakthrough T1D has an online resource with information about available help for insulin and diabetes prescription costs.
