Shaheen, Collins Issue Joint Statement on Sanofi’s Decision to Reduce Insulin Prices

Shaheen and Collins lead the bipartisan INSULIN Act, which would comprehensively cut costs of the lifesaving drug.

 Joint statement follows Shaheen and Collins commending both Lilly and Novo Nordisk’s similar actions earlier this month.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), co-chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, issued the following joint statement in response to drug maker Sanofi’s announcement that it will cap insulin costs to $35 per month for individuals with private insurance and adjust the list price of Lantus – its most popular insulin – by 78 percent and its short-acting insulin Apidra by 70 percent. Sanofi’s actions follow similar decisions by drug manufacturers Lilly and Novo Nordisk, which combined, make up 90 percent of the insulin market in the United States.

 “We applaud Sanofi for following in the footsteps of Lilly and Novo Nordisk to reduce insulin prices, which have skyrocketed over the years and put a lifesaving medication out of reach for many Americans whose lives depend on it. While we are encouraged by the series of actions by these drug manufacturers, this is not where efforts to reduce the soaring prices of insulin end – it’s where they begin,” said the Senators. “There need to be mechanisms in place to systematically address the full scope of this issue to lower insulin costs across the board and keep them there. We will soon introduce our legislation – the bipartisan INSULIN Act – to get at those very concerns so we can expand access to affordable insulin for many more Americans who rely on insulin.”

 Over 37 million Americans have diabetes and an estimated 88 million more may be at risk of developing the disease. 

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