How much did insulin prices rise?
Humalog went from $21 a vial in 1999 to $274 in 2017 — a 1,000%+ increase over 20 years with no significant efficacy advances — while by early 2023 even insured patients spent on average more than $750 a year.
Dramatically, for a drug without major innovation. Lilly's Humalog cost $21 a vial in 1999 and $274 in 2017. One lawsuit notes that insulin prices have gone up more than 1,000% over 20 years. The Senate Finance Committee's 2021 bipartisan investigation found list prices had doubled or in some cases tripled in the past decade, absent significant advances in efficacy. By early 2023, Humalog listed at $274 a vial and $530 for a five-pack of pens, and even insured patients spent on average more than $750 a year on insulin, while uninsured patients spent at least twice as much. About 8.4 million Americans use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.