On Wednesday evening, Novo Nordisk launched a new insulin program in the United States that will ensure that uninsured diabetes patients will pay a maximum of $35 for one month of insulin use, the company stated in a press release.

The new program follows a similar agreement with the New York State Attorney General on Friday.

The new program caps the cost of one month of insulin use for out-of-pocket patients and allows for the combination of all of Novo Nordisk’s current insulins for USD 35.

However, a maximum of three vials or two packs of Flexpen, Flextouch, or Penfill insulin pens will be dispensed which is enough to cover the monthly needs of the vast majority of diabetics, according to Novo Nordisk.

The agreement in New York and the new program comes after a long period of high insulin prices was met with heavy criticism from politicians.

Insulin prices are being investigated in a number of states in the US where Novo Nordisk and its, competitors Eli Lilly and Sanofi, have been accused of overcharging uninsured patients for their insulin.

In this context, Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders has at one point proposed a maximum price of USD 20 per month.

Novo Nordisk has repeatedly rejected the criticism and introduced several programs to ensure affordable insulin for the uninsured.

Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi have a market share of more than 90% of insulin sales in the US.

(Translated by DeepL with additional editing by Christian Radich Hoffman)