Eli Lilly's discounted insulin is on sale in a debate over the price of drugs

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The company announced its plans in March amid rising concerns over soaring prices for drugs, including insulin.

The prices have led many people with diabetes to reduce their insulin in order to save costs, resulting in some cases of harmful or even fatal complications.

At 50% of the price displayed by Humalog, generic insulin lispro is priced at $ 137.35 per vial, or $ 265.20 per pack of five pens. The Humalog brand will remain on the market.

The company says it hopes that uninsured or high-deductible people will benefit. Mike Mason, senior vice president of connected care and insulins at Eli Lilly, said the company hoped to reduce insulin costs "until a more sustainable solution be found ".

Congressmen have grilled the leaders of major pharmaceutical companies to explain soaring drug prices in the country.

On various occasions, lawmakers have criticized Big Pharma as "morally repugnant" and told the leaders, "Your days are numbered". In response, some pharmaceutical executives agreed that it was unacceptable for patients to have trouble paying for their medications. Some said the health system was "down".

Other companies, such as drug maker Sanofi and health insurer Cigna, have put in place plans to reduce insulin costs for some patients – but lawmakers have argued that that was not enough.

In January, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said there was no clear reason why "the selling price of Eli Lilly's leading insulin drug, Humalog, went from $ 21 per bottle in 1996 at its current price of $ 275. "

"Humalog is not thirteen times more effective than before," Wyden said. "A jar does not last thirteen times longer than in 1996."

A study conducted last year estimated that the cost of manufacturing an analog insulin stock of a year typically ranged between $ 78 and $ 133 per patient.

The US Food and Drug Administration also wants to introduce competition in the insulin market to drive down prices, said former commissioner Scott Gottlieb in an April statement. . Gottlieb said the agency would change insulin regulations to allow for the commercialization of interchangeable products.

A government report released in March revealed that one-third of uninsured Americans were not taking their medications as prescribed, in order to reduce their costs.

"Charging nearly $ 140 for a bottle of insulin – a drug that was invented nearly a century ago – is still too high," said Ben Wakana, executive director of Patients For Affordable Drugs. , in a statement Lilly announced the move. "Millions of Americans benefiting from Medicare or employer coverage will continue to face the exorbitant list price of Eli Lilly.

"We need systematic changes to repair the broken insulin market in order to finally solve the economic affordability crisis of insulin in America."

Wayne Drash, Jacqueline Howard, Tami Luhby and Susan Scutti from CNN contributed to this report.

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