Diabetes has become one of the most pressing--and expensive--epidemics this country faces. In 2005, state Medicare programs spent a hefty $500 million on the drug insulin to treat diabetes. Given the high price tag, the governors of 11 states are questioning why an inexpensive generic version of insulin is not available. They're approaching the FDA to request that the agency set up an approval process for a generic version of the drug. "To have a lower-cost solution for our very large diabetic population is in the interest of the state and the interest of these people," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) told the New York Times.
Insulin has been around for over 80 years, but branded drug makers and generic companies have been fighting over who gets to make it. The issue is that insulin is a biologic, meaning it is a product made from cultures of living materials rather than chemicals. For years branded drug makers have maintained that such products are too complex for generic drug makers to produce, but with the growing expense of treating diabetes, it appears Congress may be ready to allow generic companies to get a piece of the action. If the governors are successful with their campaign, generic insulin products could cost up to 25 percent less than the drug currently available.
For more on the push for generic insulin:
- read this article
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