H.Q. Team
March 17, 2023: Sanofi, a French pharmaceutical major, announced it would slash the price of insulin, Lantus, by 78% for all U.S. patients with commercial insurance.
The Paris-headquartered company will enforce a $35 cap on out-of-pocket costs from January 1, 2024, to cut diabetes medicine costs, according to a company statement.
The move comes after Sanofi, in June 2022, decided to lower diabetes medicines costs with the unbranded Lantus biologic at less than 60% against the Lantus list price.
In addition, it placed a cap on out-of-pocket insulin costs of $35 for all people without insurance.
“With all those decisions, now Sanofi’s suite of savings programs ensures that no patient will pay more than $35 for a monthly supply of Lantus,” according to the statement.
Apidra injection
Sanofi will also cut the list price of its short-acting Apidra (insulin glulisine injection) by 100 units/mL by 70%.
Other insulin makers such as Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have also made price reductions following the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act by President Joe Biden. The Act capped insulin prices for Medicare recipients at $35 per month. It does not include patients without insurance.
“Sanofi believes that no one should struggle to pay for their insulin and we are proud of our continued actions to improve access and affordability for millions of patients for many years,” said Olivier Bogillot, Head, U.S. General Medicines of Sanofi.
“We launched our unbranded biologic for Lantus at 60 percent less than the Lantus list price in June 2022 but, despite this pioneering low-price approach, the health system was unable to take advantage of it due to its inherent structural challenges,” he said.
“Our decision to cut the list price of our lead insulin needs to be coupled with broader change to the overall system to actually drive savings for patients at the pharmacy counter.”
Savings Programs
Sanofi’s Savings Programs, unveiled in 2022, ensured that 100% of commercially insured people were eligible for Sanofi’s copay assistance programs, regardless of income or insurance plan design.
The Insulins Valyou Savings Program enabled 100% of uninsured people o buy one or multiple Sanofi insulins at $35 for a 30-day supply.
Sanofi Patient Connection program provides qualified low- and middle-income patients free of medications. Some people facing an unexpected financial hardship may be eligible for a one-time, immediate month’s supply of their Sanofi medicine as they wait for their application to process.
At the start of 2023, Sanofi insulins and Soliqua were included under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Before the Inflation Reduction Act, Sanofi voluntarily participated in part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Senior Savings Model, which allowed patients enrolled in participating Part D plans to pay a $35 or less copay for each 30-day prescription of a Sanofi insulin throughout the year, according to the statement.
