OKC sues PBMs and insulin manufacturers over price gouging

City attorneys allege major Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and insulin manufacturers are conspiring to artificially inflate insulin prices for profit.

Rising Insulin Costs Impact OKC Emergency Services

Oklahoma City uses insulin during emergency calls to assist those experiencing diabetic emergencies. City officials argue the skyrocketing cost of insulin is straining their budget, negatively affecting their ability to deliver essential services to residents.

Lawsuit Details: Insulin Prices Have Risen Over 1,000%

In Oklahoma County, more than 12% of residents live with diabetes according to the lawsuit. Over the past two decades, insulin prices have increased by over 1,000%, according to the list prices of some insulins.

The City of Oklahoma City’s lawsuit, spanning several hundred pages, names three PBMs—CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum Rx—and three insulin manufacturers—Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi.

The lawsuit accuses these companies of working together to inflate insulin prices, reaping billions of dollars in profits at the expense of patients.

Minimal Changes to Insulin, Drastic Price Hikes

Despite minimal advancements in insulin production over the years, the price of a vial of insulin has skyrocketed. A vial that cost $20 in the late 1990s now costs between $300 and $700.

Oklahoma Attorney General's Related Lawsuit

In 2024, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a similar lawsuit against the same companies, accusing them of price-gouging. Drummond’s lawsuit highlights that it costs manufacturers less than $2 to produce a vial of insulin today.

The lawsuit can be read below: