Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter from its previous executives has sparked numerous controversies, the most unexpected being over insulin’s price. Now that the blue tick, which indicates a verified account, can be bought for only $8.00, many fake accounts posing as celebrities, big brands, and companies are fooling users. Eli Lilly, one of the many pharmaceutical companies responsible for producing insulin, fell prey to this impersonation. 

A fake Eli Lilly account put out a message that claimed insulin would be free of charge going forward. Activists and diabetics themselves are bringing attention to insulin’s high price after this fake Tweet caused much joy on the app followed with abrupt disappointment. After this false information spread, many stockholders rushed to withdraw stocks from the company, worried their value would drop. Eli Lilly has since lost over $15 billion, as their stock dropped by 4.37%. 

“We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account. Our official Twitter account is @LillyPad,” a representative for the company said in a tweet. 

Insulin, a hormone produced naturally in the pancreas, is an essential medicine for diabetics, as their bodies are not able to produce it. A vial of insulin currently ranges from $25.00 to $100.00, with most diabetics spending anywhere from $50.00 to $1,000.00 on insulin per month, despite the hormone only costing about $6.00 to make. 

“Eli Lilly apologizing for a fake tweet but not for charging $714.87 for a carton of insulin,” More Perfect Union said in a tweet.  

More than 14% of diabetics in the United States must sacrifice at least 40% of their income to purchase their required medication. Insurance may help to cover the monthly cost of insulin but does not account for any extra vials people might require. Considering the number of Americans with diabetes, insulin in the United States is selling for an astronomical price compared to other countries.  

“One of my closest friends, Erin, is diabetic, and I think it is unfair how high the price is for insulin. She should not have to worry about whether or not she can afford it when it is a need for her health,” Emma Tipper, senior, said.  

Insulin’s price and production has always been perceived to be an unethical process, focused only on profit for companies like Eli Lilly. However, with 34.2 million people who are diabetic in the United States, these companies are playing with lives for profit.