What’s New with Insulin?

A lot is happening in the world of diabetes!

Just last month, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp insulin for the treatment of children with diabetes. Fiasp is the first fast-acting insulin used for mealtime bolus that does not have a pre-meal dosing recommendation. Fiasp can be given at the beginning of a meal or within 20 minutes after starting a meal. It will now be available for use in adults as well as children and come in three different dosing options: multiple daily injections (MDI), continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pumps, and intravenous infusion under supervision by a healthcare professional. Fiasp has been engineered with Vitamin B3 to allow for more rapid absorption into the bloodstream. It is important to note that with the faster uptake, Fiasp will metabolize and leave the bloodstream differently. This information is valuable for those using an insulin pump or calculating insulin dose on board.

In more good news, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a measure capping out-of-pocket cost for insulin at $100 for a 30-day supply. The cap on cost is regardless of how much insulin is needed to fill the patient’s prescription. This law is similar to the one in Colorado that was signed by Gov. Jared Polis last May, which went into effect on January 1, 2020. It follows the transparency bill passed in Nevada back in 2017, mandating that Pharma share details on price increases and cost. Colorado was the first state to enact such legislation aiming to protect patients from skyrocketing insulin costs. Tennessee state Sen. Katrina Robinson and Washington state Sen. Karen Keiser have both proposed similar bills in their respective states to cap cost for a 30-day supply at $100 as well. It is said that several other states are writing insulin copay bills that are not yet finalized.