Novo Nordisk's decision to stop selling its long-acting insulin Levemir in the United States has left some diabetes patients struggling to switch treatments, patients and doctors in a dozen U.S. states told Reuters.
The Danish drugmaker said in November it would halt U.S. sales of Levemir by the end of 2024. Many health plans no longer cover the drug, which went off patent in 2019, and there are other options for patients on the market, Novo said.
Several people with type 1 diabetes as well as parents of pediatric patients told Reuters they are stockpiling the remaining supply of Levemir and using vials they have on hand beyond their expiration date, while hoping a nascent lobbying effort will keep the drug on the market.
They say Levemir is better suited for youth and others with an active lifestyle. Doses can be adjusted more frequently than with other long-acting, or basal, insulins.
Some described dangerously low blood sugar levels, known as hypoglycemia, or rapid fluctuations, when they used other long-acting insulins Novo says are safe alternatives, including its own Tresiba and products sold by Eli Lilly and Sanofi.
Jaime Losinki's teenaged son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes seven years ago and prescribed Sanofi's Lantus. He suffered repeated bouts of very low blood glucose that "came out of nowhere." The problem stopped when he switched to Levemir, Losinki said.
"I feel like type 1 diabetics deserve the right to have normal blood sugars just as much as anyone else does," she said. "And if there's a product out there that can help that happen, it shouldn't be taken away from them."
Novo's decision comes as it ramps up production of its fast-selling weight-loss treatments. Its market value has risen by $380 billion since it launched anti-obesity injection Wegovy three years ago, to $572 billion.
In an emailed statement to Reuters, a Novo spokesperson cited global manufacturing constraints in addition to diminished insurance coverage among the reasons behind the decision to discontinue Levemir in the United States.
The Wegovy windfall has also drawn scrutiny from the U.S. Congress over the drug's high list price, at over $1,349 per month. Novo CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen will testify before lawmakers in early September.
Diabetes patient advocates fear Novo is pulling back on manufacturing of less profitable insulins to meet the unprecedented demand for Wegovy. The company denies this.
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