Attorney General Dave Sunday alleges Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and three major PBMs conspired to inflate insulin prices and seeks compensation for affected patients.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has accused a group of major insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers of working together to keep prices artificially high, saying the alleged conduct left patients paying far more for a medicine many depend on to stay alive. In a lawsuit filed in Commonwealth Court, Sunday’s office said the companies helped drive up insulin prices by more than 1,000% and then profited from a system that made it harder for people with diabetes to access affordable treatment.
The complaint names Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, alongside pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and Optum Rx. According to the attorney general’s office, the case alleges violations of Pennsylvania’s consumer protection law as well as unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy. The state is seeking court orders to stop the conduct, restitution for affected patients and civil penalties. Sunday said in a statement that millions of Pennsylvanians with diabetes or prediabetes may have been harmed by what he described as a scheme to maximise profit at the expense of access to life-saving medication.
The filing lands amid growing national scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, which act as intermediaries between drug manufacturers, pharmacies and insurers. Critics say the companies wield outsized influence over which medicines are covered and at what cost, while supporters argue they negotiate lower net prices for health plans and patients. Pennsylvania’s case follows federal action last year, when the Federal Trade Commission sued Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx, alleging that the three largest PBMs used anticompetitive rebate practices that inflated insulin list prices.
Sunday’s office said the stakes are particularly high in Pennsylvania, where roughly 1.3 million people have diabetes and the condition is estimated to cost the state $16.4 billion a year. Although many insulin products are now capped at about $35 a month, advocates say some patients still ration doses or struggle to afford treatment. The lawsuit seeks to force lower prices and recover money for Pennsylvanians the state says were harmed by the pricing system.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
