Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nonprofit Civica Rx to Make Insulin For Under $30 A Vial
CNN: Civica Rx Will Provide Insulin For No More Than $30 A Vial
Civica Rx, a non-profit generic drug maker backed by hospitals, insurers and philanthropies, announced Thursday that it plans to manufacture and sell insulin for no more than $30 a vial. It is expected to be available as soon as early 2024, pending federal approval. Insulin, which more than 8 million Americans with diabetes depend on, has been a poster child for the soaring cost of prescription drugs. Though insulin was discovered more than a century ago and costs little to make, the list price of the brand name products that Civica Rx is targeting is roughly $300 per vial, according to the Gary and Mary West Foundation, which co-founded Civica Rx. The cost has nearly tripled since 2010. (Luhby, 3/3)
Modern Healthcare: Civica To Manufacture, Distribute Affordable Insulin By 2024
Hospital-backed Civica on Thursday said it plans to produce insulin that will be available at lower prices, making it more accessible to people with diabetes. Through partnering with other entities working in the diabetes space, the not-for-profit generic drugmaker will sell three versions of insulin at one price, based on the cost of development, production and distribution. "Diabetes is arguably America's most expensive chronic condition, and it is heartbreaking that millions of people are rationing their care and putting their lives at risk because they can no longer afford insulin," said Dan Liljenquist, board chair of Civica, in a news release. "Through mission-driven partnerships, we are choosing to create a new market reality where no one is forced to ration essential diabetes medications." (Devereaux, 3/3)
Forbes: Blue Cross Health Insurers Back Nonprofit Drug Maker’s Cheaper Insulin
Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance companies say they will join the effort by nonprofit drug maker Civica Rx to make and sell cheaper insulin for $30 per vial. Civica, which grabbed headlines four years ago for its work with well-known U.S. hospitals and health systems to buy and develop generic drugs to avoid shortages, Thursday announced plans to manufacture and distribute “insulins that, once approved, will be available to people with diabetes at significantly lower prices than insulins currently on the market.” (Japsen, 3/3)
KHN: $35 Insulin Cap Is Welcome, Popular, And Bipartisan. But Congress May Not Pass It Anyway
Democrats in the Senate are primed this month to make their first attempt at salvaging one of the most popular elements of President Joe Biden’s stalled Build Back Better plan — the proposal to cap insulin costs at $35 a month. It might not go well. That’s true even though the idea of helping millions of Americans with diabetes afford a crucial medicine has immense public support and even bipartisan adherents. But then, there is politics — between Democrats and Republicans, of course, but also among Democrats. (McAuliff, 3/4)
In related news about drug prices —
KHN: California Governor’s Big Promises On Drug Prices Are Slow To Materialize
When Gov. Gavin Newsom took office in 2019, he promised to lower prescription drug costs for all Californians. But now, as Newsom nears the end of his first term, his ambitious ideas — such as requiring California to make its own insulin and forging drug partnerships across state lines — have failed to get off the ground or haven’t produced the hefty savings he promised. (Hart, Bluth and Young, 3/4)
Stat: Washington State Gets Closer To Forming Prescription Drug Affordability Board
In a closely watched development, House lawmakers in Washington state passed a bill to create a prescription drug affordability board, a controversial tactic that a growing number of states are exploring as they seek to control the rising cost of medicines. These initiatives are loosely modeled on rate-setting boards that regulate what public utilities can charge residents. In this instance, the Washington board would run “affordability reviews” to determine whether a medicine is priced at excessive levels or has sharply increased in price and, if that was found to be the case, set an upper-payment limit, according to this document. (Silverman, 3/3)
