Insulin is Cheap to Make. So How Come It's So Expensive?

Demystifying Medicine Video

Insulin is Cheap to Make. So How Come It's So Expensive?

January 4, 2022

by Zayni-Dean Al-Azawi, Michael Celejewski, and Eunice Tunggal

Demystifying Medicine

The patent to insulin was sold in 1922 for a single dollar, but now, although production costs only at most 8 dollars, a single vial can cost 85 dollars for a patient to procure. Watch more to discover why this is the case.

Insulin is Cheap to Make So How Come It's So Expensive

Silas, a man with type 1 diabetes, is one of many diabetics in North America who is suffering from the high cost of insulin—but why? The patent to insulin was sold in 1922 for a single dollar, but now, although production costs only at most 8 dollars, a single vial can cost 85 dollars for a patient to procure. Every day, millions of people around the world rely on some form of insulin to manage their diabetes, but this high price prevents access to care that they need. Watch more to discover why this is the case, and what can be done to make a change for the better.

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References

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Demystifying Medicine Video