a generic version at half the price but is that discount enough to save lives r t correspondent ann kellan has the story. by the year twenty thirty nearly eighty million people around the world with type two diabetes won't have access to the medicine they need to survive unless there's a drastic change in access and cost it's a sobering statistic that underscores the difficulties more than thirty million diabetic americans face today as prices for the lifesaving medicines soar but following pressure from congress the pharmaceutical company announced it will sell a generic version of its insulin drug at half price this version will cost about one hundred thirty five dollars for one vial but that's still about seven times as expensive as the brand name version when it was released in one thousand nine hundred six and most patients need to vials per month adding up to more than three thousand dollars every year still have to a price tag for many americans who struggle financially senator chuck grassley praised the announcement as a first step saying quote this is only one piece of the puzzle