Last week, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Edith Ramirez, chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FTC look into some makers of prescription drugs and how they price insulin.
Sanders and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wrote that though the original insulin patent expired 75 years ago, “three drugmakers who make different versions of insulin have continuously raised prices.”
In “numerous instances,” the letter continued, “price increases have reportedly mirrored one another precisely.”
Citing concerns over rising insulin prices and their continued impact on federal spending, the two Democrats accused the companies of taking part in “anti-competitive” conduct and urged the DOJ to investigate. The companies accused of colluding to inflate the price insulin are Eli Lilly, Merck & Co., and Sanofi.