Consumers fight back the over 400% price raise
of EpiPen, the emergency treatment for allergic reactions Orange County, CA - September 6th 2016 - Mylan Pharmaceuticals has recently come under fire for the considerable raise in price of the EpiPen, an injection containing epinephrine, a drug used during allergic reactions. Mylan acquired the drug in 2007 and has since raised the price from around $60 to about $600 for a two-pack of the lifesaving drug, which expires after a 12 month period. Over 3.6 million prescriptions for EpiPen kits were written last year and studies have shown that reported food allergies have increased among children of all ages in the U.S. over the last 10 years. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has penned a letter to the company’s CEO, Heather Bresch, asking to know the reasoning behind the raised prices. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has conveyed similar concerns to the Federal Trade Commission and has requested an investigation on the company. Grassley has raised concerns that not only patients buy the drug, but public schools and other government institutions do as well. “Many of the children who are prescribed EpiPens are covered by Medicaid and therefore the taxpayers are picking up the tab for this medication,” he said.
of EpiPen, the emergency treatment for allergic reactions Orange County, CA - September 6th 2016 - Mylan Pharmaceuticals has recently come under fire for the considerable raise in price of the EpiPen, an injection containing epinephrine, a drug used during allergic reactions. Mylan acquired the drug in 2007 and has since raised the price from around $60 to about $600 for a two-pack of the lifesaving drug, which expires after a 12 month period. Over 3.6 million prescriptions for EpiPen kits were written last year and studies have shown that reported food allergies have increased among children of all ages in the U.S. over the last 10 years. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has penned a letter to the company’s CEO, Heather Bresch, asking to know the reasoning behind the raised prices. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has conveyed similar concerns to the Federal Trade Commission and has requested an investigation on the company. Grassley has raised concerns that not only patients buy the drug, but public schools and other government institutions do as well. “Many of the children who are prescribed EpiPens are covered by Medicaid and therefore the taxpayers are picking up the tab for this medication,” he said.
The increase means patient’s insurance significantly impacts the price of the EpiPen. Those with high deductibles will pay more out of pocket. There is no direct competitor for the drug, but Mylan responded to the outrage by launching a generic alternative to the EpiPen. Priced at $300 dollars, it is around half of the original price, but still a large sum for many families.
The inability to purchase the EpiPen is turning several to cheaper alternatives, purchasing epinephrine and syringes to administer the drug without the help of auto-injectors. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is warning against this practice. Using a syringe makes it more complicated to get the correct dose and administer it safely. “Anyone using this approach would require extensive medical training to do it effectively and safely, without contamination or accidental intravenous injection,” said Dr. James Baker, Jr., the CEO and chief medical officer of Food Allergy Research & Education
Heather Bresch hasn’t stood down from the price increase, "I am running a business. I am a for-profit business. I am not hiding from that,” while also distributing fault on insurance companies for placing increasingly high and inconsistent copays on pharmaceuticals. While the inculpation continues to shift, Bresch has seen a 671% salary increase, and has had the company’s tax rate drop from 25 to 21 percent within the past year thanks to an inversion deal, which is predicted to drop into the teens within the next five years.
