As part of the agreement, both Tonghua Dongbao and Nanjing King-Friend Biochemical would be responsible for the development and supply of all three insulin biosimilars. All three companies will also share the royalties from the US sales.
Although insulin suppliers such as Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi have reduced insulin prices in recent years, the cost of insulin remains quite high in the US. The list price for a 5-pack of Humalog 15mL is $530.40, as per Eli Lilly. The availability of biosimilars can help reduce the cost of insulin therapies, as has been seen in other therapy areas.
Currently available insulin biosimilars include, Biocon and Viatris’ Semglee—a Lantus biosimilar—which was the first insulin biosimilar approved by the FDA in 2021. Biocon also has a Novolog (insulin aspart) biosimilar, Kixelle, in its product catalogue. Kixelle has been approved in Europe.