George Abbott - British Columbia Minister of Health - has recently announced that the insulin glargine (also known under the trade name Lantus®) is now eligible for PharmaCare coverage in British Columbia.

Marketed only since 2005 in Canada, Lantus® (a product of Sanofi-aventis) is a long-acting synthetic insulin that helps the body regulate the removal of glucose from the bloodstream.

Meanwhile, The Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) is extremely pleased with the said announcement from the British Columbia Ministry of Health.

According to Jean Blake, the CDA's Pacific Area Executive Director:

"Today's announcement is excellent news for the thousands of residents in BC affected by diabetes, who will benefit from the addition of insulin glargine through PharmaCare.

The Canadian Diabetes Association is in complete agreement with the Minister regarding the importance of being able to properly manage diabetes to prevent further complications and maintain quality of life. It is the Association's position that people with diabetes need timely access to medication, supplies and devices that can achieve exactly that.

The Canadian Diabetes Association applauds the Minister for recognizing both the importance and need of making this coverage available. The Association believes that both federal and provincial governments should be committed to strategies that prevent the costs associated with diabetes medications and supplies from being a barrier to managing this disease."

Well, this is indeed good news for insulin-dependent diabetics of British Columbia.

Does anybody know how much Lantus® costs?

Source: The Canadian Diabetes Association