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Eli Lilly to offer lower-priced insulin

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Posted at 10:40 AM, Mar 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-04 19:04:01-05

INDIANAPOLIS — In a major victory for people with diabetes, Eli Lilly and Company announced Monday it will sell a lower-priced generic version of insulin.

The Indianapolis-based drugmaker says it will offer a generic version of its insulin drug Humalog with a list price 50 percent lower than the current cost of Humalog.

The lower-priced drug will be called Insulin Lispro and will be the same as Humalog.

It will be available in vial and pen options and sell for $137.35 for a single vial and $265.20 for a five-pack.

Humalog will remain available for people who access it through their current insurance plans.

Organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, have been pressuring the pharmaceutical industry to lower the price of insulin.

"While this change is a step in the right direction, all of us in the health care community must do more to fix the problem of high out-of-pocket costs for Americans living with chronic conditions," said Lilly Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Ricks.