⁠"We're doing everything we can" Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban comes aboard Alison Smart's efforts for her daughter's insulin access

Mark Cuban is backing Alison Smart of North Salt Lake, Utah, in her fight to keep the insulin that her 15-year-old daughter, Ruby, depends on.

When Alison Smart learned of this development, she founded the Alliance to Protect Insulin Choice and began lobbying lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to intervene.

As Smart works tirelessly to ensure her tennis-playing daughter can maintain access to Levemir, the insulin that helps Ruby manage her blood sugar during physical activity, she remains cautiously optimistic despite the daunting challenge of taking on a $500 billion company.

"We're doing everything we can," she told KSL TV.

Adding:

"It just seems reasonable that they would give us a few more years."

With Mark Cuban now swimming in these waters alongside her, Smart's David-versus-Goliath gained national attention and fresh momentum.

Alison Smart’s mission gets a boost from Mark Cuban’s involvement

Ruby Smart leads an active lifestyle typical of many 15-year-olds. She plays competitive tennis for Woods Cross High School while managing type 1 diabetes – a balancing act that requires constant vigilance.

"You always have to be aware of what your blood sugar is at and how you're doing," Ruby explained.

Her stability depends on Levemir, an insulin produced by Denmark-based pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Unlike other insulins Ruby has tried, Levemir provides the steady control she needs during physical activities.

"It's one of the few insulins that has helped me be able to stay steady while I'm doing exercise," Ruby said.

The Smart family was blindsided when they learned Novo Nordisk planned to discontinue Levemir. The company cited

"global manufacturing constraints, significant insurance formulary losses impacting patient access effective in January 2024, and the availability of alternative options in the U.S. market."

But for Alison Smart, those alternatives fall short.

"They're not as flexible. There are some side effects that we don't like," she explained.

Declaring:

"This one is just right for us."

Frustrated but determined, Alison Smart created the Alliance to Protect Insulin Choice and made two trips to Washington, D.C., to lobby lawmakers. Her goal wasn't to force the permanent production of Levemir but rather to secure a few additional years for patients to find suitable alternatives.

"When you're a company that produces a life-sustaining drug that people depend on, it's not OK to just stop that," Smart argued.

Admitting:

"We need their help."

Her campaign gained significant momentum when she enlisted Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur known for his straight-talking presence on ABC's Shark Tank and ownership of the Dallas Mavericks.

Mark Cuban has already disrupted the pharmaceutical industry with his Cost Plus Drug Company, which offers generic medications at dramatically reduced prices.

Cuban confirmed his involvement to KSL TV, writing in an email:

"We would be happy to partner with Novo Nordisk to make sure patients can still get their insulin."

Smart credits Mark Cuban with giving her campaign legitimacy in Washington's corridors of power.

"We'd start to tell our story," she recounted.

Elaborating:

"And eyes might start to kind of glaze over a little bit, and then we mention that we're in contact with Mark Cuban, and they'd always perk up and say, 'OK, well what's next? What can we work on?'"

Mark Cuban’s broader impact with insulin

Mark Cuban's support for the Smart family aligns with his larger ambitions in the pharmaceutical space. He has publicly stated that adding insulin to his Cost Plus Drug Company's offerings is a matter of "when, not if."

"It may be a month, it may be six months, it may be two years," Cuban has said regarding his timeline for offering low-cost insulin directly to consumers.

The billionaire acknowledges the financial challenges, having already invested $5 million in preliminary steps toward selling insulin and considering an additional $150-250 million for a manufacturing facility.

Cuban frames his pharmaceutical venture as a business rather than a charity, saying:

"I don't want this to seem like it's completely altruistic"

His involvement gives hope to families like the Smarts, who struggle with the high cost and limited availability of essential medications.

When approached about Mark Cuban's willingness to help, Novo Nordisk offered a measured response without committing to a specific action.

"Novo Nordisk continuously explores innovative ways to make our products available and accessible to more patients," a company spokesman said via email.

Detailing:

"New additions to our distribution channels are always fully and responsibly explored."

For Alison Smart, even this noncommittal statement represents progress in what seemed an impossible fight.

"It sounds ridiculous," Smart admitted about her campaign against such a powerful corporation.

Saying:

"But yet it's real. I think, why could this not happen? Why not?"

As Ruby continues managing her diabetes, her mother's partnership with one of America's most recognizable billionaires has transformed a local family's struggle into a national conversation about pharmaceutical responsibility and patient rights.

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Shark Tank airs on ABC Fridays at 8 PM ET and streams on Hulu.