Washington, March 1. Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced today that it will cut prices on 70% of its most prescribed brands of insulin, a drug used by nearly 8.4 million diabetics in the United States.

The price of insulin in the United States is much higher than in other countries, averaging $98.70 per vial, according to a study by the Rand Corporation.

Eli Lilly dominates the market along with pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Sanofi.

Three in 10 people with diabetes who use insulin nationwide rely on an Eli Lilly product, company spokeswoman Kelly Smith said, noting that the company will also cap the monthly cost of $35 for patients who use your medicine.

A White House spokeswoman said today that reducing the cost of insulin for everyone is a priority for President Joe Biden.

He recalled that during his State of the Union Address, the President pledged to seek an expansion of the provision of the Cut Inflation Act of 2022 which stipulates a $35 cap on insulin costs for seniors with the Medicare medical coverage program, and that this provision may apply to anyone.

He also said the Cut Inflation Act helps Latinos close the drug access gap by improving prescription drug coverage and reducing Medicare drug prices, including insulin.

“We commend Eli Lilly for taking an important step to limit the cost sharing of its insulin and urge other insulin manufacturers to do the same,” said Chuck Henderson, CEO of the American Diabetes Association, in a statement. press release from the ADA).

“We were able to make significant progress in affordable access to insulin, including new cost caps for Medicare patients, caps on state co-payments, and expanding patient support through insulin manufacturers,” added.

“But we realize our job is not done,” Henderson said.

According to the ADA, more than 37 million people, or nearly 12% of the US population, have diabetes, and 1.5 million new cases are diagnosed each year.

The incidence is uneven across ethnic and racial groups, with adult diabetes rates of 14.5% for Native Americans, 12.1% for African Americans, 11.8% for Hispanics, and 9.5% for Asian Americans. .

Among Latinos, the incidence of diabetes is 14% among Mexican-Americans, 12.5% ​​among Puerto Ricans, 8.3% among South Americans and 6.5% among Cubans, according to figures from the ‘ADA.

“While the current healthcare system provides access to insulin for the majority of people with diabetes, it still does not provide affordable insulin for everyone and that needs to change,” said David Ricks, President and CEO of the direction of Lilly.

“The significant price reductions we are announcing will make a real difference for people with diabetes,” he added.

Ricks explained that “it will take time for the insurance system and pharmacies to implement these reductions, which is why we are taking additional steps to immediately cap costs for patients using insulin who are not not covered by the Medicare Part D ceiling”. ECE

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