Attorney General Todd Rokita is intensifying his efforts to lower insulin prices and improve healthcare affordability for Hoosiers by filing a new lawsuit against Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company.
This action, in conjunction with Indiana’s prior lawsuit against other insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), addresses deceptive market practices that artificially inflated prices and seeks structural changes through injunctive relief to promote fair competition and sustained lower costs for patients.
Nearly 700,000 Indiana residents have been diagnosed with diabetes, with millions more being pre-diabetic. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and lower-limb amputations, and a major cause of death in Indiana despite effective treatments being available.
“Pharmaceutical companies should not take advantage of Hoosiers or any other American—this includes Lilly, regardless of its Indiana roots,” Attorney General Rokita said. “For two years, I attempted to resolve this matter with them amicably and without litigation—an effort not required by the state and one not afforded to Lilly’s out-of-state competitors. Lilly, which maintains by far the largest market share for insulin, rejected this outreach and consumed two years of time. Not to worry—we intend to have Indiana added to the ongoing multistate litigation, where we will share in the results of evidence already uncovered and any settlement or judgment.”
This lawsuit accuses Eli Lilly of participating in a scheme with other insulin manufacturers and PBMs that dramatically inflated insulin prices over the past decade by more than 1000% despite low manufacturing costs (estimated at just a few dollars per vial). Prior accountability efforts, including Indiana’s earlier lawsuit, have already prompted manufacturers—including Eli Lilly—to substantially reduce prices and introduce $35 monthly out-of-pocket caps for many patients. This new action builds on that progress by pursuing injunctive relief to drive structural market changes, along with damages and penalties to benefit affected consumers and ensure lasting accountability.
This action is part of Attorney General Rokita’s ongoing efforts to ease healthcare burdens for Hoosiers. Since taking office, he has secured a $66.5 million settlement against Centene; a $573 million multistate settlement against McKinsey & Company for its role in the opioid epidemic; nearly $7 million in a Medicaid fraud settlement against Mallinckrodt; a $39.1 million multistate settlement with Apotex over generic drug price-fixing; assisted in a multistate opioid settlement against the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma; and announced an 11th multistate opioid deal—bringing the total opioid funds secured for Indiana to $1.1 billion. Additionally, he has taken action against pharmaceutical companies for allegedly spiking EpiPen prices by 600% while deceiving Hoosier consumers.
Read the lawsuit here.
