Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into drug manufacturers, wholesalers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) over potential legal violations related to inflated costs of insulin, a life-saving drug relied upon by millions of diabetics.
Insulin prices are exponentially higher in the United States than in other developed countries, but over the last two decades the retail prices for some insulin products have increased by 200 percent to 1,000 percent “for a drug that is over 100 years old,” Paxton notes. “The excessive prices have forced millions of Americans to ration their medication or even go without it entirely.”
Paxton’s office issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to drug manufacturers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi, and PBMs CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx. His office requested a range of information to be provided within 30 days….