- Posted October 20, 2025
California To Launch Insulin for Just $11 a Pen
California will start selling low-cost insulin Jan. 1, nearly three years after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a plan to make lifesaving medications more affordable for folks with diabetes.
The state’s insulin — sold under the brand name CalRx — will be available at a recommended price of $11 per pen, or $55 for a five-pack.
The move is part of a partnership between the state and the nonprofit Civica, which manufactures the drug.
“You don’t need a new prescription,” Newsom said at a news conference. “It’s access on the basis of affordability.”
The new CalRx insulin will work as a generic version of glargine, a once-daily injectable that helps control blood sugar.
A comparable five-pack of Eli Lilly’s Rezvoglar sells to pharmacies for about $88, according to the governor’s office, although patient costs vary depending on insurance coverage.
California entered a 10-year agreement with Civica and India-based Biocon Biologics in 2023, investing $50 million in the insulin’s development and another $50 million toward a future manufacturing facility, NBC News reported.
Officials say the program could save patients between $2,000 and $4,000 per year. It could also yield additional savings for the state of California, which buys insulin for millions of residents on public health plans.
About 38 million Americans live with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Insulin costs have been a major financial strain, especially for folks without insurance.
“California consumers need relief now, so health advocates are relieved to see CalRx moving quickly to lower insulin costs for the people of California while continuing to pursue other needed prescription drug cost solutions,” Chris Noble, organizing director of Health Access California, a statewide advocacy group, told NBC News.
Newsom’s CalRx initiative is part of a broader plan to produce and sell state-branded generics at lower prices.
Earlier this year, the state also announced plans to sell naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, under the same program.
Civica plans to distribute its low-cost insulin nationwide to pharmacies as well.
State analysts, however, have warned that California’s entry into the insulin market could prompt other manufacturers to scale back availability, an unintended consequence that officials are monitoring.
More information
The American Diabetes Association has more on insulin.
SOURCE: NBC News, Oct. 16, 2025
