Civica to start selling long-acting insulin in January 2026

Utah-based Civica will begin selling a type of long-acting insulin on Jan. 1, 2026, although it will not come from the nonprofit drug maker’s Petersburg facility.

Civica announced Thursday it has reached a multiyear agreement with Biocon Ltd. subsidiary Biocon Biologics, a pharmaceutical manufacturer headquartered in India, which will manufacture glargine-yfgn insulin in Malaysia under Biocon Biologics’ existing U.S. market approval.

The agreement creates an exclusive distributorship arrangement, according to a Biocon Biologics news release, in which Biocon Biologics will manufacture and supply the medicine to Civica, and Civica will distribute, promote and sell the medicine in the U.S. under a separate Civica label and trade dress.

“Biocon Biologics’ partnership with Civica to launch insulin glargine reflects our shared commitment to tackling some of America’s most urgent health care challenges — notably, ensuring access to affordable medicines for those who need them the most,” Shreehas Tambe, CEO and managing director of Biocon Biologics, said in a statement.

A group of U.S. hospitals and philanthropic organizations established Civica in 2018 to address chronic generic drug shortages, and the nonprofit is part of Petersburg’s pharmaceutical hub.

Civica received the occupancy permit for its $140 million, 140,000-square-foot Petersburg facility in late 2022. The facility isn’t manufacturing commercial drugs yet; Civica has previously said it anticipates drugs from the facility will be available in 2026.

The insulin glargine will be available in pre-filled pens at what Civica says is currently the lowest price in the long-acting insulin market. The nonprofit plans to distribute it to U.S. pharmacies for $45 per box, with five pens per box, and recommends that pharmacies and health insurers set a maximum recommended price of $55 for consumers.

“Civica will provide insulin glargine at a single low, transparent price, without the hidden rebates and unfair markups that harm consumers,” Civica President and CEO Ned McCoy said in a statement.  “Our insulin initiative aligns with our mission of doing what is in the best interest of patients.”

Insulin glargine-yfgn is used to improve glycemic control in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes.

Civica’s Petersburg plant expects to produce three types of insulin, along with other drugs on the Food and Drug Administration’s shortages list. The Petersburg facility currently has about 275 employees, and Civica expects to employ 350 for the site.

The drugmaker has poured the concrete foundation for a roughly $25 million, 50,000-square-foot lab in Chesterfield County’s Meadowville Technology Park and expects to complete construction late next year.

Civica supplies more than 70 medicines to more than 1,400 hospitals, supporting more than 90 million patients.