Picture this: It’s 1922, and a 14-year-old kid named Leonard Thompson is practically fading away in a Toronto hospital. He’s skin and bones—literally wasting away. Why? Because back then, type 1 diabetes was like getting a death sentence with an express delivery. All they could do was starve you and hope for the best. It was like the ultimate “diet plan” from hell.
But wait, here come the heroes: Banting, Best, Macleod, and Collip. These guys weren’t just doctors; they were the OG miracle workers. They isolated insulin, jabbed it into Leonard, and BOOM—he came back from the brink. Sure, the first shot wasn’t perfect—it was like getting bad sushi; he had a reaction. But they cleaned it up, tried again, and saved the kid’s life. They turned a death sentence into a manageable disease. Round of applause, right? Heroes, saints, miracle-makers.
And what did these guys do with their groundbreaking discovery? They sold the patent for a single dollar. One dollar! Because they believed insulin should be for everybody. How sweet is that? These guys saved the world and basically said, “Here, take it; just don’t screw it up.”
Fast forward to now—guess what? We screwed it up. Big time. These pharmaceutical companies took that lifesaving miracle and turned it into their personal ATM. Insulin prices have skyrocketed over 600% in the last 20 years. SIX. HUNDRED. PERCENT. What, does it come with a side of gold-plated needles now? Are they injecting us with liquid diamonds?
And don’t even get me started on the excuses! “Oh, but we made slight improvements to the formula.” Really? You tweaked it a bit, and now it costs as much as my rent? That’s like charging me $200 for a hot dog because you sprinkled some truffle dust on top. Come on, we’re not idiots.
Here’s the kicker: Insulin costs pennies to make. Pennies! Yet people are paying hundreds—sometimes thousands—every month just to stay alive. And if you can’t afford it, tough luck. You’re left rationing doses, which, spoiler alert, can kill you. Imagine having to decide whether to pay for insulin or groceries. “Hey kids, tonight’s dinner is tap water and a reminder to breathe slower.”
And let’s not pretend this is some global issue. Nope, it’s just us. Other countries are over here handing out insulin like it’s Halloween candy. Meanwhile, in the U.S., we’re treating it like rare caviar. You want your life-saving medication? That’ll be $1,200. Oh, and don’t forget your co-pay.
Now the government has to step in with a $35 cap for Medicare patients. And that’s great—for them. But what about everyone else? Why do we need a government cap for a drug that’s been around for over 100 years? It’s not like insulin just came out last Tuesday. We’ve been perfecting this stuff since Prohibition. You know, back when we also thought drinking bathtub gin was a solid idea.
The truth is, the system is rigged. Big Pharma isn’t just greedy; they’re like that ex who takes everything in the breakup and then sends you the bill for the U-Haul. They’ve exploited every loophole, manipulated every patent, and squeezed every dollar they can out of people who literally cannot live without this drug.
So here we are, 100 years after Leonard Thompson got that first injection. We should be celebrating a century of saving lives, but instead, we’re fighting over why insulin costs more than a luxury cruise. The guys who discovered insulin wanted to save lives. The people in charge of insulin today? They want to save up for their fourth yacht.
It’s infuriating. It’s heartbreaking. And it’s completely avoidable. So the next time you hear someone say, “The system works,” remind them that the system works for some people. The rest of us? We’re just trying not to die while Big Pharma laughs all the way to the bank.