Thursday, November 3, 2016

Is Insulin the New EpiPen? Families Facing Sticker Shock Over 400 Percent Price Hike


Is insulin is the new EpiPen?

In the last eight years, the average price per milliliter of insulin has skyrocketed by over 200 percent. But there's one major difference. If you can't get an EpiPen, there's a chance you might die. If your body doesn't have insulin, you certainly will die.

"It feels like they're holding my kid ransom," said Tiffany Cara, whose son has diabetes.

Only three major companies make insulin in the U.S. and each has steadily ratcheted up prices, sometimes in lockstep. Since 2004, the manufacturer list price for insulin, known as wholesale acquisition cost, is up by triple digits. Novo Nordisk's insulin Novolog is up 381 percent, Eli Lilly's Humalog is up 380 percent and Sanofi's Lantus is up 400 percent, according to data from Truven Health Analytics.

That's sending some diabetic families into sticker shock. 

Click here for the full article.

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