California, drugmaker partner to produce affordable insulin
The state of California and a generic drug manufacturer have entered a 10-year partnership to produce affordable, state-branded insulin that they hope will rival longtime producers and push down prices
DOWNEY, Calif. (AP) — The state of California and a generic drug manufacturer announced a 10-year partnership Saturday to produce affordable, state-branded insulin that they hope will rival longtime producers and push down prices for a medication used by millions of Americans.
The product is not expected on store shelves until at least next year, and it was difficult to predict what effect it would have on a market already shaken by change. Earlier this week another major insulin maker promised steep price cuts as pressure builds on drugmakers and insurers to slash the cost of the drug.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he hoped California’s emergence as an insulin-maker would prompt prices to collapse. Research has shown that prices for the drug have more than tripled in the past couple of decades.
“We are intent to make this about market disruption,” Newsom said at a ceremony announcing the pact at a pharmaceutical warehouse near Los Angeles. He called it “a game changer” for 8 million Americans who use insulin to treat diabetes.
