About Us

CalRx is a state-led initiative to make essential prescription drugs more affordable and accessible for all Californians. Established under the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020 (Senate Bill 852, Statutes of 2020), the program enables the state to enter into partnerships to produce, procure, or distribute low‑cost generic and biosimilar medications in markets where prices remain high and access is limited. CalRx targets areas where the U.S. health care system has failed to lower drug costs.

Image of vials being manufactured

How CalRx Works

CalRx improves equitable access and affordability of medications in California by developing strategic partnerships and innovative solutions in the pharmaceutical market. CalRx pricing aims to be based on production costs without rebates or other discounts (unless federally mandated). By investing in drug development, stockpiling, and private labeling, CalRx brings low‑cost medications to market, increases supply stability, and reduces financial barriers for Californians.

Our Vision: An equitable, transparent priced pharmaceutical market where all Californians can afford the medications they need for healthy lives.

The image is a horizontal timeline chart titled “CalRx Target Drugs and Pipeline.” It visually shows the development stages of several medications within the CalRx program. Across the top, there are labeled columns indicating sequential phases: Research, Budgeted, RFI Released, Contracted, Design & Development, and Launch. Each drug appears as a row on the left side, with a horizontal arrow extending across the timeline to show its current progress. The listed drugs, from top to bottom, are: Insulin Glargine – a long dark-blue arrow stretches from the beginning through the Design & Development phase, with two white oval labels near the end: “Civica Product” and “White Label.” The arrow continues into the Launch column. Insulin Aspart – an orange arrow begins at the Research stage and continues through Contracted, ending before Design & Development. Insulin Lispro – another orange arrow similar to Insulin Aspart, also ending near the Contracted stage. Naloxone – a long dark-blue arrow extending from Research all the way through Launch. Albuterol – a similar long dark-blue arrow, also extending through every phase to Launch. Tuberculosis Medications – a shorter beige arrow beginning early in the pipeline and ending in the Budgeted phase. Epinephrine – another beige arrow, similar in length to the Tuberculosis row, ending in the Budgeted phase. Ongoing CalRx Target Drug List – a small two‑arrow icon in purple and beige at the bottom, indicating continuing additions to the drug pipeline. The overall layout uses color-coded arrows to represent drug progress and shaded vertical columns to indicate project phases. The chart gives a high-level pipeline overview showing which drugs are in early research, which are contracted, and which are moving toward launch.
"Timeline titled 'CalRx Milestones' showing key program developments from 2019 to 2026. January 2019: Governor Gavin Newsom announces the CalRx Initiative. September 2020: SB 852 formally establishes CalRx as a program. July 2022: CalRx receives state funding. February 2023: CalRx announces a $50 million partnership with Civica to develop three biosimilar insulins. May 2024: CalRx launches $24 naloxone through a partnership with Amneal Pharmaceuticals. May 2025: Direct-to-consumer CalRx naloxone website launches. January 2026: CalRx insulin glargine pens launch at $55 for a five-pack and naloxone price decreases to $19. August 2026: CalRx School Albuterol Access Program launches. November 2026: CalRx naloxone price drops to $17.50."