How did Minnesota's lawsuit against Novo Nordisk end?
In January 2025 Novo became the last of the three insulin makers to settle, agreeing to cap insulin at $35 a month for all Minnesotans for five years — reducing annual insulin costs from roughly $6,000 to about $600.
Minnesota's attorney general sued Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi in 2018, alleging they deceptively priced insulin so that uninsured and underinsured residents paid out-of-pocket costs based on inflated list prices. In January 2025 Novo became the last of the three to settle, agreeing that all Minnesotans could buy its insulin for $35 a month for five years, with or without insurance, and committing to continue free insulin for households below 400% of the federal poverty level.
The attorney general said Minnesotans had been paying about $6,000 a year on average for insulin, falling to about $600. He was joined by the mother of Alec Smith, a 26-year-old who died after rationing insulin he could not afford, whose story became a symbol of the crisis.