House Democrats press insulin manufacturers for lower prices

Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee ramped up pressure on three major insulin manufacturers on Thursday to push to reduce the cost of the diabetes treatment.

Full committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and oversight subcommittee Chairwoman Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) requested Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi detail the actions they’ve taken to improve insulin prices since the committee inquired about the topic in early 2019. The three companies control 99 percent of the world’s insulin.

“The Committee is troubled that despite your company’s expressions of shared concern, insulin prices in the United States remain unacceptably high,” the lawmakers wrote in the letters. “This is particularly frustrating considering Americans continue to bear a disproportionately high financial burden for their insulin compared to diabetes patients in other countries.”

The lawmakers called for the manufacturers to provide updated information on any list or net price increases, the gross revenue and net profit and what steps the companies have taken to improve accessibility and decrease cost.

Manufacturers’ response: Eli Lilly called insulin affordability “critical” in a statement to The Hill, saying “Lilly is committed to ensuring affordable insulin is available to people who need it.”

Novo Nordisk said in a statement that it is aware of the letter and looks “forward to ongoing dialogue with the Committee on policy solutions that support patients.”