Novo Nordisk to Pull Long Lasting Insulin Levemir From the Market

After committing in March to cut 65 percent off the price of its long-lasting insulin Levemir (insulin detemir), Novo Nordisk has announced that it will discontinue its marketing of the product in the U.S. with supply disruptions beginning as early as January.

The company stated in its announcement that it made the decision because of “global manufacturing issues, decreasing patient coverage, and because we are confident that patients in the U.S. will be able to find alternative treatments.”

Novo Nordisk lowered the price of its once-a-day insulin eight months ago amidst ongoing Congressional pressure to lower the price of insulin as lawmakers continue exploring avenues to rein in prescription drug costs. On March 1, Lilly announced it would cut the cost of multiple insulin products by 70 percent and expand a program capping patient out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month, putting pressure on U.S. insulin titans Novo Nordisk and Sanofi to follow suit.

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