In the initial days of November 2022, Twitter began providing verified checkmarks to those who signed up for its $8-per-month Twitter Blue subscription. Regrettably, the launch was a fiasco as scammers ran rampant on the timeline.

Sean Morrow, 34, a contributor to the site More Perfect Union, was also eager to join the verification prank. He altered the handle of an old account to @EliLillyandCo and posted: “We are pleased to declare insulin is now free of charge."

Morrow’s tweet went viral, spread by individuals who thought it was genuine and those who realized it was a joke. He cleverly dunked on both Eli Lilly (many assumed that a corporation estimated at $300 billion should have already been providing insulin without cost) and Musk’s Twitter for its carelessly implemented fresh feature.

Morrow doesn’t suffer from diabetes, however he was stirred by the unfairness of insulin pricing. “I always saw it as one of the most awful corporate abuses of everybody else in a planet of terrible corporate abuses of everybody else,” he informed BuzzFeed News.

The fake Eli Lilly tweet caused quite a stir, as people inside the company were trying to get in contact with Twitter so they could take it down, but due to Twitter's layoffs in the ad services staff, this wasn't possible for a lengthy period. As a result, all of Eli Lilly's ad budget was swiftly taken away from Twitter, and Musk's goal of $8 verification was hindered as it had to pause the Blue subscription program in order to prevent impersonators.

Additionally, the tweet had some serious consequences, as Eli Lilly's stock plummeted by 4.37% (although other pharmaceutical companies had similar dips that day). Moreover, it brought about more focus and awareness on the issue of insulin cost, something that advocacy groups and those with diabetes had been striving for for many years. This is a prime example of how public shaming can be effective.

"Morrow expressed his feelings when he heard about Eli Lilly's announcement," said Morrow. He is conscious of the probability that the cost reduction was already in the process of being accomplished, yet he believes that his tweet may have hastened the outcome.

On Wednesday, Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, declared that they will cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at only $35 per month for people with private insurance – a massive decrease in price for a medication that is essential for people with diabetes.

Approximately 30 million citizens in the US suffer from diabetes, and 8 million require insulin regularly. Sadly, even with insurance, the monthly expenses are often more than $1,000, leaving those who cannot shell out the money to skimp on their supplies, and in some cases, this has been fatal.

Following great stress from legislators and consumer advocates, Eli Lilly has introduced a new policy. The Inflation Reduction Act, brought into effect on the 1st of January, mandates a maximum cost of $35 per month on insulin for Medicare users. Eli Lilly is now expanding this lower price to additional people and other insulin makers are expected to do the same.