WIRED: Can a tiny biotech make insulin dirt‑cheap?
Why this story matters
WIRED’s in‑depth feature brings rBIO’s mission to a mainstream tech audience, explaining how the company’s R‑biolin biosimilar could shake up a century‑old insulin supply chain and drive down costs for the 8 million US insulin‑dependent patients.
“If rBIO can hit its price targets, the yearly insulin bill for a typical Type‑1 patient could fall from thousands of dollars to mere hundreds,” WIRED writes, noting the company’s planned 50× manufacturing scale‑up and upcoming human trials.
Key takeaways
Cost‑per‑dose target: rBIO aims for sub‑$0.50 production cost through continuous‑fermentation and downstream‑processing innovations.
Regulatory path: The team expects to file an IND with the FDA in 2026 after completing GLP toxicology and Phase 1 readiness studies.
Market context: As Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly prioritize GLP‑1 therapies, WIRED frames R‑biolin as a hedge against potential shortages of human insulin formulations.
Social impact: The article highlights patient‑advocacy groups pushing for affordable insulin and positions rBIO as an emerging ally.
