Attorney General Ellison secures more low-cost insulin for Minnesotans
Insulin manufacturer Sanofi agrees to cap out-of-pocket cost of its insulin products at $35 per monthly prescription, and provide free insulin to the neediest Minnesotans, for five years, in settlement of 2018 lawsuit
Agreement follows similar settlement reached between the Attorney General and Eli Lilly for resolution of the same lawsuit; litigation against Novo Nordisk continues
Today, Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a settlement with Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC (Sanofi) which guarantees that all Minnesotans, with or without insurance, can buy Sanofi’s insulin products for $35 per month for the next five years. The settlement resolves a 2018 lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s Office alleging Sanofi deceptively priced its insulin products, requiring uninsured and underinsured Minnesotans to pay astronomically high out-of-pocket costs based on the Wholesale Acquisition Cost, or list price, of the drugs.
The terms of the settlement will come into effect within 90 days of July 19, 2024.
The settlement requires Sanofi to provide insulin products—including Admelog, Lantus, Toujeo, and Apidra, and any biosimilar of those products that Sanofi markets in the U.S.—at $35 per monthly prescription for customers paying with cash. Even Minnesotans with insurance can choose to not use their insurance and pay no more than $35 per month. To take advantage of the pricing, consumers will need to enroll for a savings card on a Sanofi affordability website affirming their eligibility for the program.
When Sanofi’s affordability program is in place, the Attorney General’s Office will release information to members of the media detailing how Minnesotans can purchase a month’s supply of Sanofi insulin for just $35. The Office will also update MNinsulin35.com to include that information. Currently, Minnesotans can visit MNinsulin35.com to learn how they can purchase a month’s supply of Eli Lilly insulin for just $35.
Like Eli Lilly, Sanofi has agreed to implement a texting system to assist pharmacists and patients to determine eligibility for low-cost insulin, and alert patients about this low-cost alternative at pharmacy counters throughout the state. Finally, Sanofi has committed to continuing its Patient Connection Program that provides free insulin to Minnesotans with an annual household income of less than or equal to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level—$124,800 for a family of four.
“Our litigation has had a huge impact on insulin prices,” Attorney General Ellison said. “In 2018, when this lawsuit was filed, the list price of a five-pack of Apidra in an injection pen was over $625. Today, we reached an agreement bringing that price for a month’s supply of pens down to just $35. This is a big victory for the people of Minnesota and will do so much to help families across the state afford their lives.”
Over the last decade, insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefits managers have faced rising scrutiny over the climbing cost of insulin from both state attorneys general and Congress. In 2022, President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act capped out-of-pocket costs of insulin to seniors on Medicare to $35 per monthly prescription, a price which Minnesota’s settlement with Sanofi now provides to all Minnesotans.
“With this settlement, Minnesotans can get the insulin they need at prices they can afford, and they can now choose between manufacturers and low-cost insulin products,” added Attorney General Ellison. “I will continue to do everything in my power to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Nobody in Minnesota should be denied medicine they need to survive because of its price.”
In addition to bringing the lawsuit settled with Sanofi today, the Attorney General’s Office has worked to defend other legislative efforts to combat high drugs prices, including defending the Alec Smith Insulin Act from attack by the pharmaceutical industry, and price gouging laws intended to stop generic drug manufacturers from holding consumers hostage with high prices. Attorney General Ellison once again thanks his state partners and countless Minnesotans without whose help today’s settlement would not be possible.
In the months ahead, the Attorney General’s Office intends to work with local, state, and community partners to raise public awareness of the low-cost option afforded by this settlement. The Office has already created a website, MNInsulin35.com, to help consumers navigate the options opened to them by the insulin settlements.
The Attorney General’s Office encourages consumers with complaints about their insulin to contact the Office online. The Office can also be reached by phone at (651) 296-3353 or (800) 657-3787, or at (800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).