CalRx

What CalRx does

CalRx is a California state government initiative established under Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-01-19 (January 2019) and codified by the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020 (SB 852). It is administered by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) on behalf of the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS). The program's mandate is to develop, produce, and distribute generic and biosimilar prescription drugs at transparent, cost-based pricing in order to disrupt pharmaceutical markets and address drug affordability failures — particularly in insulin and naloxone — for all California residents regardless of insurance status or income.

Name

CalRx

Legal name

CalRx

Website

https://calrx.ca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Pharmaceutical Distribution

NAICS

Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Pricing & Compliance (Medicare/Medicaid/340B/AMP/Best Price) (HLAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Generic prescription drugs
• Biosimilar insulin
• Affordable medications
• Government drug manufacturing
• Over-the-counter naloxone

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Drug Manufacturing: CalRx is a California state government initiative funded through legislative appropriations. The program manufactures and distributes generic and biosimilar drugs at cost, with transparent low pricing. The initiative aims to disrupt pharmaceutical markets rather than generate profit. Funding comes from California state budgets, with $50 million originally allocated for in-state manufacturing (later eliminated due to budget savings measures).
2. Direct Product Sales: CalRx sells prescription drugs at reduced prices directly to consumers and organizations. Naloxone is sold for $19 per twin-pack to individuals and at negotiated rates to business entities. Insulin Glargine pens are priced at $55 for a five-pack. Products are sold through pharmacies, mail order, and direct online ordering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CalRx is a California state government initiative that develops, produces, and distributes generic prescription drugs and biosimilars at low, transparent, cost-based pricing to all California residents. The program currently offers CalRx Insulin Glargine Pens ($55 for a five-pack, interchangeable with Lantus) and CalRx Naloxone Nasal Spray ($19 per twin-pack, available over-the-counter), with a School Albuterol Access Initiative planned for Summer 2026. Products are available without eligibility requirements regardless of insurance status.

Product overview

CalRx is a California state initiative launched in 2020 under the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act (SB 852) that develops, produces, and distributes generic drugs and biosimilars at low, transparent costs. The initiative currently offers two core products: CalRx Insulin Glargine pens (biosimilar insulin interchangeable with Lantus, $55 for 5-pack) and CalRx Naloxone nasal spray (OTC, $19 twin-pack). An upcoming School Albuterol Access Initiative is planned for Summer 2026. CalRx operates without rebates or coupons, using transparent pricing based on development, production, and distribution costs. The program is administered by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CalRx Insulin Glargine Pens Biosimilar insulin glargine pens interchangeable with Lantus, priced at $55 for a five-pack of 3 mL pens. Manufactured in partnership with Civica Rx and Biocon Biologics. Available to any pharmacy in California.
• CalRx Naloxone Nasal Spray Over-the-counter 4 mg naloxone HCL nasal spray available for $19 per twin-pack. Manufactured by Amneal Pharmaceuticals. FDA-approved as over-the-counter product, available without prescription by California residents. Can be purchased directly through calrxnaloxone.com or through pharmacies.
• School Albuterol Access Initiative Planned program to supply California TK-12 schools with albuterol inhalers and single-use disposable spacers at no cost over a three-year period beginning Summer 2026. Administered in partnership with CDPH's Office of School Health. Uses CDPH's standing order authorization to enable direct-to-school shipping.

Quantifiable outcome

• Naloxone savings of several million dollars for California since May 2024 launch
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Civica RxflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2023Civica Rx is the primary insulin manufacturing partner for CalRx's Biosimilar Insulin Initiative. The partnership involves developing and manufacturing affordable biosimilar insulin products at cost. Civica announced manufacturer suggested retail price of no more than $30 for 10mL vials and $55 for 5-pack of 3mL pens. Civica is partnered with Biocon Biologics for insulin glargine development and continues producing interchangeable biosimilar insulins independently.
• Biocon BiologicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2023Biocon Biologics is partnered with Civica Rx for the development of insulin glargine products under the CalRx label. This partnership enables the white-label launch of CalRx Insulin Glargine pens that are interchangeable with Lantus.
• Amneal PharmaceuticalsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmneal Pharmaceuticals manufactures CalRx-branded over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray. The partnership secures naloxone at $19 per twin-pack, representing significant cost savings. Amneal demonstrates shared vision for accessibility of life-saving drugs. The agreement enables uniform pricing free from hidden rebates or discounts across California.
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalRx partners with CDPH's Office of School Health for the School Albuterol Access Initiative. CDPH provides the albuterol standing order authorization that enables CalRx to ship products directly to schools. CDPH manages the standing order process at standingorders.cdph.ca.gov.
• Health Care Access and Information (HCAI)OthersHCAI is the state agency administering the CalRx program on behalf of CalHHS (California Health and Human Services Agency). HCAI manages the CalRx website, certifies accessibility compliance, and serves as the official contact for the program.
• California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS)OthersCalHHS is the parent agency overseeing the CalRx initiative. The CalRx program was established through Governor Newsom's Executive Order and signed into law as the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020 (SB 852).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DiRx: Online pharmacy focused on affordable generic medications sold directly to consumers without insurance. Comparable DTC low-cost distribution model targeting the same affordability-focused customer segment as CalRx.
• Honeybee Health: Online pharmacy selling affordable generic medications directly to consumers without insurance requirements. Comparable DTC model focused on transparent, low-cost generic distribution.
• Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company: Direct-to-consumer online pharmacy selling generics at transparent cost-plus pricing. Closest commercial analog to CalRx's affordable, transparent pricing model for uninsured/underinsured consumers.
• Rx Outreach: Nonprofit mail-order pharmacy serving uninsured and underinsured patients with affordable generics. Closely aligned with CalRx's mission and uninsured/underinsured target customer segment.
• Civica Rx: Nonprofit generic and biosimilar pharmaceutical manufacturer that is CalRx's primary insulin manufacturing partner under the Biosimilar Insulin Initiative. Shares CalRx's mission of affordable, transparent drug pricing and at-cost manufacturing model.

Broad incumbents

• GoodRx: Drug price transparency and discount platform helping consumers compare prescription prices and access coupons. Overlaps with CalRx's affordability mission but operates via existing commercial supply rather than direct manufacturing.
• Walmart Pharmacy: Operates a long-standing $4/$10 generic drug program across thousands of retail pharmacies. Competes on accessibility and low-cost generics but as part of a much broader retail/health business.
• Amazon Pharmacy: Major online pharmacy offering generic medications with Prime delivery, discount programs, and broad therapeutic coverage. Competes with CalRx's mail-order and direct-online channels as a much larger incumbent.

Emerging players

• Phil: Patient access and affordability platform for branded and specialty pharmaceuticals, helping manufacturers and pharmacies expand patient reach. Adjacent in mission (drug affordability/access) but focused on commercial pharma partnerships rather than direct generics.
• Alto Pharmacy: Modern pharmacy delivery platform with strong affordability tools and free same-day delivery. Overlaps with CalRx's direct-delivery channel and focus on simplifying medication access for consumers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CalRx