California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Oct. 16 that the state would start selling its own brand of affordable insulin pens next year to improve access to essential medication across the state.
The insulin pens will be sold under the state’s CalRx brand for $11 per pen or $55 per five-pack, with sales expected to begin on Jan. 1, 2026, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
This follows an agreement reached by California with drug manufacturer Civica and biopharmaceutical company Biocon Biologics in 2023 to produce its own affordable insulin.
“California didn’t wait for the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing—we took matters into our own hands,” Newsom said in the statement….