Under congressional scrutiny, questions swirl around Sec. Azar’s former employer and his role in insulin price hikes

The Wall Street Journal: As Political Scrutiny Mounts, Eli Lilly Divulges New Insulin Pricing Data

Key Points:

• Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly claims that over the last five years the net price, or the price it was paid, for its Humalog insulin dropped by 8.1%.
• During the same period, the product’s average list price rose 51.9%.
• “The rising cost of diabetes treatments has figured prominently in broader scrutiny of drug prices, and diabetes drugmakers like Lilly are facing criticism from patients, doctors and lawmakers.”
• “This year, House and Senate committees sent letters to diabetes drugmakers Lilly, Sanofi SA and Novo Nordisk A/S, seeking information on the rising cost of their insulins and details about rebates paid to drug-supply chain companies.”

“When Secretary Azar worked at Eli Lilly, the company steeply hiked drug prices, and the price of Humalog increased by 345%,” said Lizzy Price, spokesperson for Restore Public Trust. “As Congress continues to investigate how pharmaceutical companies have raised insulin prices and following a CDC report that found that one third of uninsured Americans don’t take medication as prescribed by their doctors, Secretary Azar should be held accountable for his record on increasing drug prices which made life saving medications unaffordable for American families.”

See our report about Azar’s tenure at Eli Lilly, when drug prices skyrocketed. See Restore Public Trust’s ad that highlights Secretary Azar’s history as a pharmaceutical insider here.