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Key takeaways
Toujeo Max Solostar is long-acting insulin prescribed for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. It’s recommended for people who take at least 20 units of insulin per day as a way to avoid running out quickly.
Without insurance, 2, 3 ml pens of Toujeo Max Solostar cost around $781. However, it can be hard to calculate your monthly expense for this drug, since the amount of insulin each person needs is dependent on many factors and may change over time.
There are other ways to save money on Toujeo Max Solostar without insurance, including the SingleCare prescription discount card and two savings programs available through the manufacturer.
Toujeo Max Solostar is a long-acting insulin pen designed to help people with Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes manage their blood sugar. It’s a brand-name prescription drug without a generic alternative. It contains the same type and concentration of insulin as Toujeo Solostar (insulin glargine) but is packaged in a larger quantity. “That makes it a good option for people who need higher doses of insulin and run out of a single pen quickly,” says Chhaya Makhija, MD, endocrinologist and lifestyle medicine specialist, and founder of Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care in California.
Without insurance, Toujeo Max Solostar costs $781 for 2, 3 ml pens, but there are many ways to fill your prescription at a lower cost.
What is the generic for Toujeo Max Solostar?
Insulin is considered a biologic medication (a drug made with living tissue) so it doesn’t have a “generic” version, but biologics sometimes have a biosimilar, which is the equivalent of a generic. There is no biosimilar for Toujeo Max Solostar, however, and no plans have been announced by any pharmaceutical companies to create one.
Sometimes, pharmaceutical companies will create authorized generics for their own drugs and sell them without the brand-name label. Sanofi, the manufacturer of Toujeo Solostar and Max Solostar, has done this for Toujeo Solostar (labeled as insulin glargine U-300), but it’s unclear if this option is also available for people needing Max Solostar.
Is Toujeo Max Solostar covered by insurance?
According to Sanofi, Toujeo Max Solostar is covered by most commercial insurance plans, but keep in mind that all plan benefits are different. Your plan may require prior authorization or not cover Max Solostar even after an appropriate prior authorization. As for Medicare coverage, it is generally favorable for Max Solostar.
“Toujeo Max Solostar is typically covered by Medicare Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage,” says Alexandria Roland, a Medicare expert and licensed insurance agent. “It’s typically categorized as a tier 3 drug with most plans [and usually doesn’t] require any restrictions such as prior authorization or quantity limits.”
Again, it’s important to always verify your plan coverage since Medicare plans vary by state, and your coverage may be different.
How much does Toujeo Max Solostar cost without insurance?
Without insurance, the retail price of Toujeo Max Solostar is about $781 for 2, 3 ml pens. Max Solostar is designed to make it easier for people to take higher doses of insulin without constantly running out and requiring refills. Specifically, it’s recommended for people who need to take at least 20 units of insulin each day. Still, the amount of insulin you need is highly variable and often makes it difficult to estimate a monthly cost.
In fact, while a few other things can influence the total cost of your medication—like the pharmacy you choose to fill your prescription—how many units of insulin you require per day is the single biggest factor that affects cost, says Brian Staiger, Pharm.D., of HelloPharmacist. In other words, your monthly expense for Max Solostar without insurance may be higher or lower than $781, depending on how much insulin you need to control your blood sugars.
If Toujeo Max Solostar isn’t covered under your plan or is too expensive, your healthcare provider can help you find a cheaper alternative, which Roland says could include long-acting insulins like Lantus Solostar and Basaglar KwikPen, both of which are typically covered as tier 3 medications by Medicare Part D plans.
Toujeo Max Solostar vs. Toujeo Solostar
Toujeo Max Solostar contains the same ingredient—insulin glargine—at the same concentration of 300 units/ml as Toujeo Solostar. The only difference is that Max Solostar is packaged as a higher-capacity dosing pen. It contains 900 total units versus 450 units and allows people to adjust their doses in units of two rather than one, which Dr. Makhija says allows the pen to inject more insulin at a single time (and helps it last longer in the body, too).
“People on higher doses of long-acting insulin run out of one single pen quickly, and in these scenarios, the higher capacity pens are useful,” she explains. “Endocrinologists will discuss this option with a patient if they’re requiring 40–50 units of insulin a day or even needing it twice daily.”
Because you’ll receive more insulin per prescription, Toujeo Max Solostar also costs more than Toujeo Solostar. Each prescription fill includes 2, 3 ml pens and costs about $781 without insurance.
Compare brand-name Toujeo Max Solostar prices to related drugs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | SingleCare price | Savings options |
| Toujeo Solostar | $201 per 1, 1.5 ml of 300 units/ml pen | $175 per 3, 1.5 ml of 300 units/ml pen | See latest prices |
| Toujeo Max Solostar | $781 per 2, 3 ml of 300 units/ml pen | $233 per 2, 3 ml of 300 units/ml pen | See latest prices |
| Tresiba | $457 per 1, 10 ml of 100 units/ml vial | $122 per 1, 10 ml of 100 units/ml vial | See latest prices |
| Lantus Solostar | $111 per 1, 3 ml of 100 units/ml pen | $20 per 1, 3 ml of 100 units/ml pen | See latest prices |
| Basaglar KwikPen | $93 per 1, 3 ml of 100 units/ml pen | $54 per 1, 3 ml of 100 units/ml pen | See latest prices |
Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing. Click the link under “Savings options” to see the latest drug prices.
How to get Toujeo Max Solostar without insurance
There are several options available to help you save money when paying out-of-pocket for medications like Toujeo Max Solostar.
1. Use a SingleCare prescription discount card
The SingleCare prescription discount card can help you save on prescription drug costs by allowing you to search for the lowest available price of your medication at local retail pharmacies. You can then choose the one offering the most significant cost savings.
2. Enroll in the Insulins Valyou Savings Program
The manufacturer of Toujeo Max Solostar, Sanofi, has a savings card available through its Insulins Valyou Savings Program, and it’s one of the cheapest ways to get Toujeo Max Solostar without insurance. You can use the card to get Toujeo Max Solostar for $35 per month for 12 consecutive months (after 12 months, you can apply for a new card). If you need multiple refills of your medication each month, you can still use the card to pay just $35, but you can only use the card once per month, so you’ll need to fill all your prescriptions at the same time.
3. Apply for the Sanofi Patient Connection program
In addition to the Valyou savings card, you can apply for the Toujeo MaxSolostar patient assistance program, which is called Patient Connection, through Sanofi. This program is for people who meet certain income and insurance coverage requirements, allowing them to get the medication for free. People with commercial insurance are typically not eligible (unless they cannot receive the drug under their plan), but some people with Medicare Part D may be eligible.
4. Talk to your provider about switching to a different medication
As Roland mentioned, there are other long-acting insulins that can act as alternatives to Toujeo Max Solostar if you’re unable to get affordable coverage of the medication. Your provider will ultimately decide which option is right for you. Don’t hesitate to ask them about switching to a lower-cost option if you’re having trouble affording Toujeo Max Solostar.
Sources
- Insulin is now a biologic—What does that mean?, American Diabetes Association (2020)
- Unbranded Toujeo, Sanofi
- Toujeo Pro, Sanofi
- What is the Toujeo Max difference?, Sanofi
- Toujeo savings and coverage, Sanofi
- Patient Assistance Connection, Sanofi
