Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sanofi Joins Competitors In Capping Out-Of-Pocket Insulin Costs
NBC News: Sanofi Announces Insulin Price Cap Of $35 Per Month Out-Of-Pocket
Sanofi will cap the out-of-pocket cost of its most popular insulin, Lantus, at $35 per month for people with private insurance, the French drugmaker said Thursday. The change will take effect Jan. 1, 2024. Sanofi is the last of three major insulin makers in the United States to cut or cap the price of the drug. Both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk announced changes to how they price their insulin this month. Together, the three drugmakers make up roughly 90% of the insulin market in the U.S. (Lovelace Jr., 3/16)
Reuters: Sanofi To Cut US Price Of Its Most-Prescribed Insulin By 78%
In addition to Lantus, Sanofi said it will cut by 70% the list price for its fast-acting insulin, Apidra. Sanofi said it already offered a lower priced version of Lantus but that it had not been taken up widely by insurance programs. The branded list price of Lantus is $438.07 for the pre-filled pens and $292.07 for a 10 ml vial. Those would come down to $96 and $64, respectively. (Wingrove, 3/16)
USA Today: Sanofi Cuts Price Of Insulin Lantus, Following Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk
Drugmakers also are bracing for a drug pricing change under Medicaid, the federal health program for low-income families. Medicaid has required drug companies to pay rebates when they significantly raise prices over time. But the amount drug companies paid Medicaid was capped in previous years. The new provision, part of the American Rescue Plan Act passed in 2021, eliminates the rebate cap beginning next year. In other words, drug companies could face significant financial penalties beginning next year, said Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn Research, a nonprofit that researches drug pricing. (Alltucker, 3/16)
The Hill: Sanofi Cuts The Price Of Its Most Prescribed Insulin By 78 Percent
“We launched our unbranded biologic for Lantus at 60 percent less than the Lantus list price in June 2022 but, despite this pioneering low-price approach, the health system was unable to take advantage of it due to its inherent structural challenges,” Sanofi’s head of U.S. General Medicines Olivier Bogillot said in a statement. “We are pleased to see others join our efforts to help patients as we now accelerate the transformation of the U.S. insulin market.” These price cuts will go into effect beginning on Jan. 1, 2024.Choi, 3/16)
