“The price of the generic, for example, is still three times higher than the cost of the branded EpiPen in 2007”.
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There already is a cheaper alternative to the EpiPen.
EpiPen provides epinephrine to fight intense allergic reactions to any food or a bee sting.
Mylan’s control of the market has grown more powerful in the past year as other drugmakers have faltered in efforts to introduce or sell other epinephrine injectors. “Generic drugs have a long, proven track record of delivering significant savings to both patients and the overall healthcare system”.
Another issue the senators are concerned about is whether Mylan will extend its patient assistance programs to include the authorized generic versions as well, or if not, how the company plans to ensure patient access to the generic.
In a letter to Mylan CEO Heather Bresch, Brown requested answers to a series of questions on how the price hike has impacted access to EpiPens for OH consumers and how their corrective actions to date will effect consumers and taxpayers. None is likely to hit the US market until well into next year. Mylan Pharmaceuticals said it would coordinate with a partner on the generic drug.
The senators also questioned Mylan’s decision to offer a generic product, identical to the EpiPen, in “several weeks” at a lower, $300 price.
That raises the question of whether consumers will actually pay less for the generic version, said Walid Gellad, who heads the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh.
BENGALURU – Netherlands-based Mylan says it will launch the first generic version of its allergy auto-injector EpiPen at half the price of the branded product, the drug maker’s second step in a few days to counter a wave of criticism over the product’s high price.
“.given over $24,000 to state legislators, especially on the Wisconsin Senate Health Committee, who in return developed a bill to expand Epipen’s market to schools, colleges, universities, recreational programs, etc”.
There’s now little competition for EpiPen.
Last week, Mylan said it was expanding programs that help people pay for EpiPens.
“Alaskans want to hear directly from the company, under oath, exactly how a 400 percent or more price increase for an off-patent medication is justifiable”, she said in statement accompanying the release of the letter.
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The rise in costs, they argued, came despite Mylan moving its tax address to the Netherlands in an effort to avoid paying “its fair share of corporate taxes”.
