Have insulin manufacturers cut prices?
Yes — Lilly cut Humalog 70% in March 2023 (from $274.70 to $66.40), Novo up to 75%, Sanofi followed — and Lilly's unbranded lispro is now $25 a vial, cheaper than Humalog cost in 1999, though litigation for past harms continues.
Yes, starting in 2023. In March 2023 Lilly cut Humalog and Humulin list prices by 70% and capped out-of-pocket costs at $35 a month for many patients; the Humalog vial list price fell from $274.70 to $66.40. Novo Nordisk announced cuts of up to 75% on several insulins effective January 2024, and Sanofi also cut prices, according to AJMC. The Inflation Reduction Act had already capped Medicare insulin costs at $35 a month. Lilly also expanded its $35 cap to about 85% of US pharmacies and said its unbranded lispro at $25 a vial would be cheaper than a Humalog vial in 1999. Minnesota's attorney general later argued the settlements proved that the earlier price increases were "completely unjustified". The cuts delivered real relief, but litigation continues over damages for years of higher prices.