[skybrian]

> The state is taking a two-phase approach. In the short term, California has put out a request for proposals from existing enterprises that could produce generic insulin for the state as a subcontractor in the next few years in order to try to deliver relief as soon as possible.

[...]

> But in the long term, the plan is for a government factory operated by government workers producing government-owned medication. The state would have its own public production facilities, staffed by civil workers, which would sell generic insulin for the same cost needed to produce it, plus perhaps a small percentage to cover auxiliary costs for the program.

> The $100 million in funding is split evenly between the short and long term. But that long-term vision will take time. Even if the state were to retrofit an existing factory for insulin production, that construction work could take years, as would hiring a workforce to oversee it. Once production is up and running, California would need to hit more targets — most importantly producing a product that the FDA says is interchangeable with existing insulin medications.

That second phase is certainly ambitious. Putting it out for bid would be the more normal government process. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[iibarea]

Newsom structures things like this a lot, and the more ambitious part almost never happens. I think this is mostly about running for president and creating a talking point, call me cynical but I don't think anyone expects Ca to directly run drug manufacturing.