Eli Lilly & Co., Novo Nordisk AS and Sanofi were sued by California over insulin prices, which the state claims are inflated through unfair and deceptive practices and disproportionately affect low-income households and people of color.
The suit filed Thursday also claims pharmacy benefit managers CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx as well as the drug makers “have leveraged their market power to overcharge patients,” according to a statement from Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office.
“Insulin is a necessary drug that millions of Americans rely upon for their health, not a luxury good,” Bonta said. “With today’s lawsuit, we’re fighting back against drug companies and PBMs that unacceptably and artificially inflate the cost of life-saving medication at the expense of vulnerable patients.”
