California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Thursday that cheaper, state-made insulin for diabetics, an endeavor he unveiled more than three years ago, is set to hit shelves in January.
A five-pack of CalRx-branded, 3 mL insulin pens will be sold to pharmacies for $45 total and cost patients a maximum of $55 a pack. Newsom’s office compared the price to that of similar insulin products, which have a wholesale price ranging from around $90 to more than $400 for the same amount of medication.
“No Californian should ever have to ration insulin or go into debt to stay alive — and I won’t stop until health care costs are crushed for everyone,” the governor said in a statement Thursday.
California is the first state to circumvent Big Pharma by producing its own insulin, which around 40 million Americans rely on to manage their diabetes.
“California didn’t wait for the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing — we took matters into our own hands,” Newsom said.
