In response to criticism over the escalating prices of insulin, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk announced two programs to help lower the cost of the drug for U.S. diabetic patients.
Novo will make an authorized generic version of its best-selling insulin, Novolog, available to patients in January 2020 at a 50 percent discount.
The list price for one vial will be $144.68.
Novo also created a cash card program that can be used by patients to buy three vials or two packs of pens of Novo's analog insulins at a flat rate of $99 per month. According to Novo, that is an adequate supply for one month.
Novo's decision to offer cheaper alternatives follows similar moves by big insulin makers, Sanofi and Eli Lilly.
In April, Sanofi said it would cut the cost of its insulin products to $99 per month. In May, Eli Lilly started selling a half-priced version of its Humalog insulin.