State Senator Calls Out Pharma Company For Promoting Help Center For Patients Who Can’t Afford Insulin
“If pharmaceutical companies like yours priced their drugs reasonably, there would be no need for a help line,” said state Sen. Ed Hernandez, who helped co-sponsor California's transparency bill aimed at lowering drug prices.
Stat:
California Lawmaker Scolds Lilly For Failing To Comply With Transparency Law
Eli Lilly (LLY) was admonished by a California lawmaker for promoting a diabetes help center for patients who cannot afford their insulin while at the same time failing to lower prices or comply with a new state law that requires drug makers to disclose pricing details. In a harshly worded letter sent on Monday, state Sen. Ed Hernandez, who sponsored the transparency law, criticized the company for touting its Diabetes Solution Center at the same time that prices for insulin, made by several companies, has risen dramatically in recent years. An analysis published two years ago found that the cost of insulin, on average, more than tripled — from $231 to $736 a year per patient — between 2002 and 2013. (Silverman, 7/31)