The seal for Bucks County. (Credit: LevittownNow.com)
Bucks County is preparing to take legal action against insulin manufacturers for alleged price fixing.
Commissioner Chairperson Bob Harvie, a Democrat, revealed at a public meeting last month the county’s plans to join a lawsuit targeting insulin producers who are “not playing nice, to put it mildly,” citing personal experience as the father of a child with diabetes.
“As we started looking into it more and working with different law firms who were doing this work in different parts of the country, it became obvious that we had an ability to bring a case against insulin manufacturers for, among other things, price fixing,” Harvie said.
The lawsuit looks to address the disproportionately high cost of insulin in America compared to other countries, despite minimal changes to the medication over decades.
“Insulin today costs more in this country than it does pretty much anywhere else in the world,” Harvie noted. “And unlike a lot of other medications, unlike a lot of other scientific advancements, there hasn’t really been much of a change in insulin.”
The county plans to partner with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, which has jurisdiction in consumer protection matters and is led by Republican District Attorney Jennifer Schorn.
The approach mirrors a previous effort regarding PFOS chemical contamination.
Harvie explained the historical context for the use of insulin, explaining that the medication was first discovered in 1921 and quickly implemented for treating diabetes.
“When your pancreas doesn’t make insulin because of an autoimmune problem or just because of age or diet or other reasons, genetics, in some cases, the sugars that you consume don’t get broken down, and those sugars get into the bloodstream and can cause serious health issues for people,” Harvie explained.
The commission noted the ethical decision made by insulin’s early developers, who chose not to profit from their discovery.
Harvie stated that biosynthetic insulin has been commercially available since the early 1980s, which allowed for mass production with relatively little change in manufacturing processes over the past 40 years. Despite the stability, prices remain “way higher” than justified.
The county’s motivation includes protecting its own financial interests as a self-insured employer providing coverage for county workers who need insulin.
“We believe as a county that it is the right thing to do to step up for our employees because we are self-insured. And so certainly we provide the funding that can help people stay, get the medicine they need,” Harvie said.
Spokespeople for the commissioners and district attorney declined further comment before the legal action had commenced.
