Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals said today that its insulin glargine injection, Basaglar, is available by prescription in the U.S. Basaglar is a long-acting insulin with the same amino acid sequence as Sanofi‘s (NYSE:SNY) Lantus.
The companies also offer resources for patients beginning insulin treatment, including an app for smartphones and tablets which provides guidance for injection using the Basaglar KwikPen, injection demo kits and educational videos.
Several pharmacy benefit managers have chosen Basaglar for their formularies, according to Lilly and Boehringer, so the 2 companies anticipate that it will be widely covered by commercial insurance plans. There will also be a Basaglar savings card for eligible patients.
Lilly and Boehringer won FDA approval for the long-acting insulin in December last year to control high blood sugar in adults and children with type I diabetes, as well as adults with type II diabetes.
“Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim are proud to bring another proven effective diabetes treatment choice to people who may need a long-acting insulin to help control their blood sugar,” Lilly Diabetes VP of Global Medical Affairs Dr. David Kendall said in prepared remarks. “We know that starting insulin can be a challenging experience for some people with type II diabetes. As part of our continuing commitment to the diabetes community, we are expanding our educational resources.”
Lilly said yesterday that it is teaming up with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts (NSDQ:ESRX) to offer discounts on the US pharma giant’s insulin products for uninsured patients and people with high-deductible insurance plans.
