Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Insulin Market And Price Fixing: Patients Take Action
The New York Times: Drug Makers Accused Of Fixing Prices On Insulin
A lawsuit filed Monday accused three makers of insulin of conspiring to drive up the prices of their lifesaving drugs, harming patients who were being asked to pay for a growing share of their drug bills. The price of insulin has skyrocketed in recent years, with the three manufacturers — Sanofi, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly — raising the list prices of their products in near lock step, prompting outcry from patient groups and doctors who have pointed out that the rising prices appear to have little to do with increased production costs. (Thomas, 1/30)
The Washington Post: Diabetes Patients Sue Insulin Makers For ‘Pricing Fraud’
The insulin market is dominated by an oligopoly of companies that sell many billions of dollars worth of insulin each year — and have steadily raised the list prices of their drugs. A version of insulin called Humalog launched two decades ago with a sticker price of $21 a vial and has increased to $255 a vial. Meanwhile, competition has appeared to work in a perverse way, with list prices of competing insulins often rising in concert. Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) asked for a federal investigation into “possible collusion” on insulin prices. (Johnson, 1/30)
Business Insider: The Makers Of Insulin Are Being Accused Of Price-Fixing In A Class-Action Lawsuit
A lawsuit filed Monday alleges that the three companies that make insulin have been part of an "organized scheme to drive up prices at the expense of patients who need insulin drugs to live. "Insulin is a hormone that helps people absorb and process the sugar in food. Roughly 1.25 million people in the US who have Type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin to live, as do many people with Type 2 diabetes, the more common form. (Ramsey, 1/30)
Meanwhile, Mylan and its EpiPen face more scrutiny -
Bloomberg: Mylan Faces U.S. Antitrust Investigation On EpiPen Practices
Mylan NV set off a firestorm in Congress last year over skyrocketing prices of its EpiPen. Now it’s facing a U.S. antitrust investigation over whether it improperly thwarted competition to the blockbuster product. The company has received a request for information from the Federal Trade Commission as part of a preliminary investigation, it said Monday in response to a query from Bloomberg. It said it hasn’t acted improperly to prevent generic competition. (McLaughlin, Forden and Hopkins, 1/30)
