Newsom announces Californians can buy insulin pens for $55 a pack

California to sell low-cost insulin

Californians will be able to buy five packs of insulin pens for a maximum of $55 per pack, or $11 per pen, starting Jan. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Californians will be able to buy five packs of insulin pens for a maximum of $55 per pack, or $11 per pen, starting Jan. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday. 

What they're saying:

"Every Californian should be able to access life-saving medications without breaking the bank," he wrote, referring to the state-branded pens, CalRx.

Lawmakers at the state and federal level have focused in recent years on the high cost of insulin, and Newsom's announcement comes three years after he said California would address the high cost of insulin.

Newsom shared a CalMatters story that explained the pens are interchangeable with glargine, the generic alternative for Lantus, a once-a-day injection that regulates blood sugar. 

An equivalent amount of Lantus sells to pharmacies for more than $92, according to data compiled by the governor’s office, but consumers may pay a different price based on their insurance.

Pharmacies in California will be able to by the pens for $45, Newsom's office said, and be able to sell them for $10 more. 

"California didn’t wait for the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing — we took matters into our own hands," Newsom said in a statement. "No Californian should ever have to ration insulin or go into debt to stay alive."

Roughly 3.5 million Californians have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

"Today’s action marks a significant milestone in California’s ongoing efforts to reduce prescription drug costs," California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson said in a statement. "Lowering the cost of insulin moves us closer to a California where no one is forced to choose between their health and their financial stability."