DeGette comment on lower-cost insulin to be sold in U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following is a comment from U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), chair of the House oversight committee currently investigating the cost of insulin, on news today that Eli Lilly – one of the nation's top three manufacturers of the drug – will soon be selling a new generic version of the life-sustaining medication for half the cost of its current brand-name formula:

"We're glad to see that at least one drug maker is taking steps to reduce the cost of this life-saving product, but we still have a long way to go to ensure this vital drug is truly affordable for the millions of Americans who need it every day to survive. The fact that the price of this drug has gone from about $20 a vial in 1996 to $275 per vial today is unfathomable, and it's something we are going to continue to investigate. Meantime, I strongly urge others to act similarly, because what we have learned through this announcement is that lowering the cost of this important drug is much more doable than previously thought."

• DeGette recently sent letters to the heads of Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi – three of the top manufactures of insulin in the U.S. – asking them to explain the rapidly increasing cost of the drug and why they are not providing a more affordable treatment to patients in need. A copy of the Jan. 31 letters DeGette sent are available here.

• As co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, DeGette led a bipartisan inquiry into the rising cost of insulin to determine what Congress could do to lower the cost of the drug. A copy of the report and its policy recommendations, which were released on Nov. 1, 2018, is available here.

• As chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight panel, DeGette recently announced that she plans to hold a hearing on the rising cost of insulin next month to determine what can be done to make the drug more affordable for those who need it.