– How does Insulin not have generic versions compared to something like Tylenol?

Question

– How does Insulin not have generic versions compared to something like Tylenol?

In: 531

Answer 1

Tylenol, and most drugs, are chemical compositions. You make them with the same ingredients in the same amounts and they turn out exactly the same each time. Insulin is a biological creation, it’s made by genetically modified bacteria. Since each bacteria is unique, each batch of insulin is unique. They’re all very similar and all work the same, but they’re not exactly the same.

Essentially each time you make insulin it’s all new and it requires more oversight and testing. It’s simply too expensive for most companies to go through the approval process for insulin each time they make it so only a few companies are willing to invest the resources to manufacture it.