In Mylan’s latest move to quell outrage over its price increases, the maker of the EpiPen has resorted to introducing a generic version of its own product. However they say they now pledge to make the EpiPen more affordable. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said in a statement Monday.
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The company announced that a $300 coupon would be available for the brand name EpiPen and the generic could cost 50 percent less than the current EpiPen. Therefore, a patient paying $600 an EpiPen can get a generic for $300 – a 50 percent discount.
Liberty Peterson knows full well how getting hit with a severe allergic reaction can be downright scary. He pointed that one milligram of epinephrine, which is three times more than what’s needed in an EpiPen, costs just a few bucks.
There is now little competition for EpiPen, with the only rival product being Adrenaclick, which carries a list price of $461.
Meanwhile, MannKind Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company based in California with a manufacturing facility in Danbury, Connecticut, has been looking into developing an alternative to the EpiPen. Today the cheapest price for the lifesaving product is $614 for a two-pack, up from a previous cost of $100 for the same quantity.
But this authorized generic isn’t the white flag people may have been expecting.
The lawmakers, led by Sen. But pharmacists say co-pay cards can not be used to purchase generic drugs, so essentially patients will still be paying $300.
A chorus of politicians, consumer groups and others has been calling for hearings and investigations of EpiPen pricing, along with action by the Food and Drug Administration to speed approvals of any rival products.
Last week, Mylan said it was expanding programs that help people pay for EpiPens.
Mylan CEO Heather Bresch commented, “We understand the deep frustration and concerns associated with the cost of EpiPen to the patient, and have always shared the public’s desire to ensure that this important product be accessible to anyone who needs it”.
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It’s nearly as if Mylan, maker of the EpiPen, had drawn up a list of ways to game a dysfunctional health care system and made a decision to check off every last one. They also asked how many EpiPens Mylan provided to low income, uninsured consumers and how many schools purchased EpiPens versus how many received them for free. “The price is what Medicare, Medicaid and insurance companies pay”.
