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In the case of insulin, I think it has more to do with the FDA's processes than corruption.

It would be very difficult to make a profit on generic insulin because it's a biologic drug, which means a generic manufacturer wouldn't be able to bypass the FDA approval process by proving bioequivalency.

EDIT: Upon further reading, there is a pathway[0][1] for "biosimilars", but it seems to have higher requirements than chemical generics.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biologics_Price_Competition_an...

[1]: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/biosimilars/biosimilar-and-interch...




The generic insulins that are out of patent protection are also significantly worse than modern, patented insulins. Here's a good article on the topic: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20150318/why-isnt-there-...




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