California to sell state-branded CalRx insulin pens starting Jan 1

California will begin selling lower cost, statebranded insulin pens on Jan. 1, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, making the first shipments under the CalRx label available to residents and, through a nonprofit partner, to pharmacies nationwide. The program will offer insulin pens at a recommended price of $11 each or $55 for a five‑pack, and officials said patients will not need a new prescription to obtain the state product.

The CalRx insulin is being produced through a partnership begun in 2023 with nonprofit Civica and manufacturer Biocon Biologics under a 10 year agreement. The state allocated $100 million for the program in 2022, with $50 million directed to developing three types of insulin and the remainder intended to support a manufacturing facility and related investments. California has said the pens will be interchangeable with glargine, a once‑daily insulin formulation that helps regulate blood sugar.

Newsom described the offering as part of a broader effort to reduce prescription drug costs. At the news conference he said, "You don't need a new prescription. It is access on the basis of affordability." Civica also announced it will distribute the insulin...