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Under pressure from politicians and patient groups, diabetes pharmaceutical giants have been taking action in recent weeks to limit the effect of rising insulin prices on patients. On Tuesday, Eli Lilly and Co. announced that, starting in January, patients who pay full retail price for insulin will be able to access a 40 percent discount. ... The Eli Lilly discount program will only help people without insurance or who are in the high-deductible phase of a health plan. But the action is part of a widening public discussion among drug companies in response to scrutiny of its pricing policies. (Johnson, 12/13)

Eli Lilly & Co. will bypass insurance companies to offer a 40 percent discount on its best-selling insulin products for patients who lack health coverage or have high deductibles that require them to pay the full cost of some medications. Patients will be able to purchase the drugs through the digital startup Blink Health, Lilly said Monday in an e-mailed statement. Blink brings together pharmacy customers online to negotiate drug prices, typically for older, less-expensive treatments. The initiative, which starts next year, is its first foray into brand name therapies, providing access to Humalog, Lilly’s biggest product, with $2.8 billion in 2015 sales. (Cortez, 12/13)

Eli Lilly & Co. said Tuesday it would discount the list prices of its insulin brands by as much as 40% for uninsured patients and others paying for the drugs largely out-of-pocket, following an outcry over soaring prices of diabetes treatments sold by Lilly and its competitors. The price concession, intended for patients who currently pay the highest of out-of-pocket costs, is the latest sign that some drugmakers are bowing to public pressure to rein in prices. (Loftus and Jamerson, 12/13)

French drug giant Sanofi SA is in talks for a deal with Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd., according to people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson abandoned its pursuit of the Swiss drug company. It’s not clear what price Sanofi is discussing paying or what structure is envisioned, but people familiar with the matter have said a deal could value Actelion at as much as $30 billion. (Mattioli and Rockoff, 12/13)