Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin wants insulin to be more affordable and accessible.
Today in Moline, he promoted a bill that would help lower the price of the medicine. The "Affordable Insulin Approvals Now Act" would speed up the approval process for generic insulin.
Durbin says one in four people that suffer from diabetes ration their insulin because it's too expensive to take as prescribed.
"Today, the FDA has frozen approval of generic drug applications for insulin for 30 months. There is no reason for that delay, and I've joined with my colleagues in protesting that as well. Our remedy act limits this 30-month delay so that big pharma is not rewarded for coming up with small patents."
Cindy Ramos from Moline is a diabetic who delivered her child nearly two months early due to complications from the disease. She says the cost of insulin made her pregnancy difficult.
"In the beginning, it was access to affordable insulin because there was a gap in my coverage. So what had been costing me roughly $30, was all of the sudden $1,200. And, that's not the first time that has happened in my journey."
Last month, Durbin introduced the bipartisan "Affordable Insulin Approvals Now Act'" with U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota, and Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota.