Insulin has been used in treating diabetes for many, many, many years, and there are still no generic insulins on the market. I would really like to know WHY. I've been thinking about this a long time, and nobody seems to have any answers. Thinking about it again, since on the news last night it was reported that the patent on one of the anti-cholesterol drugs (Zocor???) was expiring and the drug co. was going to slash the price so the manufacturers of the generics wouldn't get a foothold in the market.

Getting generic insulins produced should certainly be something the diabetes assns and advocacy groups should be campaigning for, but as far as I can see, all the ADA wants to do is advertise numerous products and raise money that it is very unclear what they do with it.

I asked the pharmacist about it. She said there is no money in it. I find it hard to believe and Lilly and Novi have a lock on the market.

Part of the problem is that insulin just doesn't cost all that much (well, maybe Lantus...not sure). But even humalog only costs about $28 a bottle.

Ruth[/FONT]

From what I understand....try typing in: "generic insulin?" in your search engine and read the first few sites .....there's currently no legal framework for how to regulate generic version of biotech medicines. Is it in the process? Hard to find anything up-to-date.

With insulin they're dealing with proteins, enzyems, or antibodies. Unlike "ingestables" (i.e. pills), which deal with chemicals (natural and or synthetic).

As taken from one of the articles I found on-line:
"...Biotech isn't about mixing chemicals, it's about growing molecules. Biotech medicines are made by splicing genes into fast-growing organisms such as bacteria, which multiply to produce quantities of the desired medicine. It's a process akin to winemaking. Subtle factors such as the type of wood in the casks influence the flavor of a wine.

So making biotech medicines is as much an art as it is a science."

I'm sure with more and more things coming "off patent", the generic-drug makers will be getting more and more on board with making sure regulation happens. You know the drill...if there's money to be made :-)

That's OK for us, though. Competition would surely equalize price. The only thing is...pill manufacturing has been refined over a long, long time (like 100 years). I don't know that I would want to be first in line to try a newly-regulated generic brand insulin. Think I'd wait a while and research.

Hope this helps :-)
- Vikingirl

Relion sells N, R and 70/30 at walmart for $20 per bottle.

You are correct in a sense, oldlady8. Insulin is the generic name but I think for the purposes of the poster's question.....it's more of a, "Why should I have to pay so much for Lantus? Why isn't there a cheaper alternative?", for example.

Also, as I understand it, each insulin engineered, has a patent. Some of these older insulins are now coming off patent (expiring). This means bioengineering can be done with most the leg work done for them or at least the basis for them to work with creating a new and improved insulin (that will have it's own patent).

As taken form the article I mentioned earlier this post...

"Cangene spokesman Mark Langstaff said that, based on FDA guidance, his company has run a small clinical trial comparing its generic against the Eli Lily insulin that comes off patent in 2002. Langstaff declined to provide any details other than to say that Cangene, which already manufactures several other biotech products, plans to seek FDA approval in December to sell its generic insulin in the United States."

Politics and money. Don't they just make our world go round, eh? :-)

- Vikingirl

Lantus is a new drug. All new drugs have a period where they have a patent and no generic can be made. Lantus is in the patent period. And humalog 70/30 may be $28. So might humalog N. But plain old humalog is $80 for a vial.