Naloxone is next medication California aims to manufacture

East County News Service

March 21, 2023 (Sacramento) --  Governor Gavin Newsom announced on March 18 that CalRx has secured a contract with the manufacturer CIVICA to make $30 insulin available to all who need it.  The action will bring down the price of insulin by about 90%, saving cash-paying patients between $2,000 and $4,000 annually.

Right Care Alliance, a patients and providers coalition, has documented  deaths of at least 14 diabetic Americans who’ve died due to rationing insulin since 2017, when prices skyrocketed.

“People should not be forced to go into debt to get life saving prescriptions,” Governor Newsom said. “Through CalRx, Californians will have access to some of the most inexpensive insulin available, helping them save thousands each year. But we’re not stopping there – California will seek to make our own Naloxone as part of our plan to fight the fentanyl crisis.”

By Miriam Raftery

April 1, 2022 (San Diego) – Experts say it costs less than $10 a vial to manufacture insulin, yet the price to consumers with diabetes has skyrocketed to as much as $1,000 per vial, ABC News reports. That’s led to rationing and deaths of some patients. Hoping to save lives, the House voted 232-193 to pass a bill that would cap insulin costs at $35 or 25% of an insurance plan’s negotiated price.

Although 12 Republicans voted with Democrats for the bill, local Republican Congressman Darrel Issa voted against it.  San Diego County’s other Congressional representatives voted in favor.