SEATTLE, Wash. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — The American Diabetes Association says the average price of insulin tripled between 2002 and 2013. That’s sending many Americans to Canada, where they pay up to ten times less per vial. It’s also causing diabetics in this country to skip doses or ration their insulin, which can mean serious complications or death. The FDA allows it if it’s for personal use and a three month supply or less. Ivanhoe has more on the issue facing 29 million Americans.

Adam Kozie, his wife, and cats Zelda and Geo live in Seattle.

Adam is an insulin-dependent diabetic. His cost of a vial of insulin shot up from 40 to 135 dollars, even though he has insurance.

“I was exasperated, paying so much for my drugs. I need this to keep myself alive,” Kozie shared.

Adam’s doctor, Irl Hirsch, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told him he could drive to Canada, save money and get more than the one month supply.

“That’s a huge benefit, to being able to buy in Canada without a prescription, is that I have a fridge full of insulin right now. If something goes wrong, I have a huge supply of the thing that I need to stay alive,” Kozie continued.

Dr. Hirsch said, “It just infuriates me to no end that this drug that we’ve had for almost 100 years is inaccessible for so many people.”

A diabetic himself, Dr. Hirsch has studied insulin prices for decades. He says Humalog went from 24 dollars a vial when it came out in 1996 to 300 dollars full retail now. People can get Humalog in Canada for 32 dollars Canadian.

“That means they’re making money on that 30 dollar vial of insulin, which in the U.S. at retail cost is ten times that price,” Dr. Hirsch shared.

He says the difference is Canada regulates drug costs, the U.S. does not.

Dr. Hirsch continued, “We are now hearing of not just hospitalizations for people who have rationed or run out of their insulin, but now this year, we are hearing of deaths.”

He’ll keep fighting until insulin is accessible and affordable.

Dr. Hirsch hopes change is coming. Several insulin makers are named in a class action suit for alleged price fixing. The companies themselves are launching programs to make insulin more affordable especially for the three point two million uninsured Americans. Patients do have another option now in the U.S.: they can buy less expensive human or synthetic insulin for as little as 25 dollars at Walmart. But it’s an older insulin and may act differently. Talk to your doctor before making a switch.

Contributors to this news report include: Wendy Chioji, Field Producer; Roque Correa, Editor; and Rusty Reed, Videographer.

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SKYROCKETING PRICES = INSULIN CRISIS

REPORT #2587

(Source: https://rightcarealliance.org/cms/assets/uploads/2018/02/insulin-fact-sheet.pdf and https://www.ontrackdiabetes.com/type-1-diabetes/insulin-prices-still-high)BACKGROUND: Insulin is a hormone that helps turn blood sugar into energy. People with diabetes take insulin because they have insulin deficiency or resistance. Seven million Americans depend on insulin. As many as 3 million Americans with Type 1 diabetes and 4 million with Type 2 diabetes require insulin to maintain their health. Insulin costs are skyrocketing, and companies like Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi are raising prices to whatever the market will bear, unrestricted by regulations or competition from generics. Between 2002 and 2013, the average price for this life-saving, injectable drug has tripled, according to the American Diabetes Association. Several factors are fueling the price hikes. Insulin makers have continually adjusted formulations, creating insulin “analogs” that are easier to use and less likely to trigger dangerous low blood sugar episodes, but that cost millions of dollars to develop, noted by Johns Hopkins University researchers. This practice, which the researchers call “evergreening,” keeps pricey brands under patent protection so other drug makers can’t copy formulas and offer lower-cost versions. That’s one reason there’s no low-cost “generic” insulin in the United States.

AFFORDABLE INSULIN?: One reason for the high prices is the lack of generic options for insulin. So for now, people are stuck having to search around to find affordable options. Our national polls show people might cut back on groceries and paying bills to pay for their medications. However, there are other options. If you don’t have health insurance or are without drug coverage, look into applying for a patient assistance program. You can find some programs that offer free or low-cost insulin as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. Another way to save is by asking your doctor whether there’s a lower-priced insulin that’s right for you. While “long-acting” is a more popular type of insulin, it’s also more expensive, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it works better. As is the case with most other medications, prices can vary depending on where you fill your prescription. Shoppers have frequently found that getting a lower price requires some shopping around.

Diabetes patient, Adam Kozie, says, “I use about 1.5 vials of Humalog (or similar Novolog) insulin per month. Each vial was $135 after submitting through insurance at the pharmacy counter in 2016. I don’t know what it would cost me to do that currently, as I’ve exclusively gotten my insulin from Canada since November 2016.”

(Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health/how-to-get-insulin-at-a-cheaper-price)

WHAT DOES RESEARCH FORETELL?: A study by researchers at Yale University found at one clinic in New Haven, Connecticut, that one in four patients admitted to cutting back on insulin use because of cost. Researchers surveyed 199 patients in the New Haven area who had either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, asking them six questions about their ability to afford insulin, including “Did you use less insulin than prescribed because of cost?” and “Did you not fill an insulin prescription because of cost?” A positive response to any of these questions counted as insulin underuse. Patients who reported an income between $25,000 and $100,000 were more likely to be cutting back on insulin compared with those who said they earn over $100,000. In the past decade, a global network of patient activists pushed for legislation to reduce the cost of diabetes treatment. This June, The American Medical Association issued a statement calling for price transparency and for the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department to monitor insulin pricing. Kristin Sikes, a pediatric endocrine nurse at Yale University, said the situation has gotten worse in the last five years. “Families are making decisions,” she said. “Do I feed my family or stretch the bottle of insulin as long as possible?”

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/well/diabetes-patients-at-risk-from-rising-insulin-prices.html)

* For More Information, Contact:

Barb Clemmons, bac60@uw.edu Irl Hirsch, MD (Assistant, Kyla)

(253) 740-5043 (206) 598-2482