Gov. Gavin Newsom is focused on making health care affordable, but his CalRx insulin has been slow to reach patients.
California launched state-branded insulin this year, but it’s been slow to reach patients
California Gov. Gavin NewsomHeather Diehl/Getty Images
By Angela Hart — KFF Health NewsAug. 13, 2026
STAT is co-publishing this article by KFF Health News.
SAN FRANCISCO — At a Walgreens in this city’s bustling Japantown neighborhood, pharmacist Margaret On stocks two boxes of long-acting insulin pens from California’s new prescription drug label, CalRx, emblazoned with the state’s iconic grizzly bear.
And it's only going to cost $11 a pen.
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