Insulin Advocates on the Insulin For All Act of 2023

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After pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced it would lower the price of insulin, another major manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, announced it would begin slashing some U.S. insulin list prices, including pre-filled pens and vials of long- and short-acting insulins, up to 75 percent next year. 

Few drugs have ever had their list prices lowered. The announcements come after public pressure and are seen as the result of years of work by diabetes activists.

IAN DEVANEY; press@t1international.com 
    Devaney is the communications coordinator for T1International, an advocacy organization for people with type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as an adult.

Last week, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Cori Bush (D-MO) introduced the Insulin For All Act of 2023. 

T1International announced that the organization would continue to advocate for all three insulin manufacturers to lower the cost of all of their insulins to an affordable price––and “to do so across the globe.” Three manufacturers currently control over 90 percent of the global insulin market. The current reductions in list price don’t prevent the companies from raising their prices again. Advocates are pushing for price caps to ensure that, once prices drop, insulins will remain affordable long term. 

Devaney told the Institute for Public Accuracy: “For too long, patients with diabetes have been exploited to pad the pockets of pharmaceutical executives and shareholders. The price cap [as outlined in the Insulin For All Act] of $20/vial for all insulins will help patients in the U.S. to avoid dangerously rationing, especially those experiencing lapses in insurance coverage. 

“People with diabetes need more than just insulin. We need testing supplies, delivery devices, and health care to be affordable and accessible for all people with diabetes––and all people who rely on life-saving medicine. Patients deserve dignified and consistent access to affordable medicines and care that work best for them. We also want to see accountability for insulin manufacturers around the world to ensure long-term affordable prices in every country.” Around the world, one in two people who need insulin to survive can’t get it because it is unavailable, unaffordable, or both.