268: Why Affordable Insulin Is a Money Problem, Not a Science Problem with Eric Moyal - Part 2

Why does life-saving insulin cost hundreds of dollars a month for patients, when manufacturing costs are just a fraction of that price? What if the nonprofit model could change everything for affordable access?In the pharmaceutical industry, affordability and access remain two of the biggest hurdles for patients, especially when the economics of essential medicines seem stacked against them.Eric Moyal, founder of Project Insulin, is rewriting the rules of biosimilar development. Coming from a fundraising and nonprofit background rather than the pharma inside track, Eric built Project Insulin not to chase profits, but to deliver an essential therapy at a price real people can afford.Topics covered:Key differences between nonprofit and for-profit models in biotech, especially around fundraising, incentives, and revenue (00:02)The intricate balance between development costs, operating expenses, and setting an affordable price point (00:06)Innovative distribution models to eliminate price inflation by middlemen, including direct-to-patient and clinic partnerships (00:08)Major roadblocks in reinventing drug distribution and the importance of building the right partnerships early on (00:10)Advice for founders and scientists exploring solutions to drug affordability, including corporate structure, fundraising, and perseverance (00:12)Lessons learned after five years building Project Insulin, emphasizing the value of assembling the right team and listening to feedback (00:13)Realistic expectations for Project Insulin’s next five years and the primary goals on the horizon (00:16)The broader need for affordable generic drugs and the broken promise of the current patent system (00:17)How to connect with Project Insulin and support its mission (00:18)Smart insight: Generic medicines should be affordable. Ensuring low-cost, accessible generics is essential to restoring the original balance between pharmaceutical innovation and public access, and it requires collective effort beyond any single player.If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to these within a broader set of discussions on biologics affordability, CMC strategy, and bioprocessing realities — from the economic barriers blocking patient access and regulatory decision-making for biosimilars, to CDMO selection for resource-constrained teams:Episode 136: 5 Roadblocks to Affordable Biologics (And How to Overcome Them)Episodes 57 - 58: Crafting a Solid CMC Strategy: Key Factors and Common Pitfalls with Matthias MüllnerEpisodes 103 - 104: One-Stop Shop vs. Specialist CDMO: A Scientist's Guide to CDMO Selection with Sigma MostafaConnect with Eric Moyal:Email: [email protected]: www.projectinsulin.orgInstagram: www.instagram.com/projectinsulinLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/82500193TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@project.insulinYouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProjectInsulinNext step: If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. By doing so, we can empower more scientists like you. Stay tuned for more inspiring biotech insights in our next episode.Support the show