California
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Thursday that cheaper diabetic insulin made in the state, an effort he unveiled more than three years ago, will hit shelves in January.
A five-pack of CalRx brand 3ml insulin pens will be sold to pharmacies for $45 total and will cost patients a maximum of $55 per package. Newsom’s office compared the price to similar insulin products, which have a wholesale price ranging from about $90 to more than $400 for the same amount of medication.
“No Californian should have to ration insulin or go into debt to survive, and I won’t stop until health care costs are crushed for everyone,” the governor said in a statement Thursday.
California is the first state to bypass Big Pharma by producing its own insulin, which about 40 million Americans depend on to control their diabetes.
“California didn’t wait for the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing; we took matters into our own hands,” Newsom said.
PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images
the state Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson praised the progress because it brings California closer to a place “where no one is forced to choose between their health and their financial stability.”
No kings.No Bias.Just the truth.
Your supportFuelsOur Mission
Your supportFuelsOur Mission
Back News that puts people first
News themezone works for our readers. Membership gives readers the power to shape the future of independent journalism. Join today and show that people lead here.
We remain committed to bringing you the unwavering, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We are truly grateful for readers like you! Your early support helped get us here and strengthened our newsroom, keeping us strong in uncertain times. As we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
We remain committed to bringing you the unwavering, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We are truly grateful for readers like you! Your early support helped get us here and strengthened our newsroom, keeping us strong in uncertain times. As we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
News themezone Support
Have you already contributed? Sign in to hide these messages.
But Californians won’t be the only ones who can access cheaper insulin. Civica Rx, the nonprofit generic drug maker the state partnered with on the project, says it will also distribute the affordable diabetes drug to pharmacies across the country under its own brand through a partnership with Biocon Biologics.
When Newsom announced the effort in 2022, he noted that out-of-pocket prices for insulin were around $300 to $500 a month for some people. Although some federal policies have helped reduce the cost for many patients, prices have skyrocketed for others who get their insulin through low-income health clinics.
The insulin that will hit the market in January 2026 represents an unexpected turn of events. In February, a state official told lawmakers that the initiative was not moving “as quickly as we had hoped.” A month earlier, industry experts told CalMatters they believed it would be several years before state-made insulin would be available.