The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has opened a “preliminary inquiry” on the matter, according to a joint statement from the panel’s chairman, Rob Portman of OH, and ranking member Claire McCaskill of Missouri.
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A preliminary review showed the company “may have inserted potentially anticompetitive terms” into sales contracts with many school systems, Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Tuesday.
“If Mylan engaged in anti-competitive business practices, or violated antitrust laws with the intent and effect of limiting lower cost competition, we will hold them accountable”, Schneiderman said.
The device, about the size of a marker, is loaded with epinephrine, and in the event of an allergic reaction, is jammed into the victim’s thigh to stop them from going into anaphylactic shock. Though it later announced it was launching a cheaper, generic version of the autoinjector.
In August, Mylan, the company that makes the EpiPen, came under fire from politicians and the public for its 500% increase since 2007 in the list price of the emergency allergy medication. “Parents and school districts in Ohio, Missouri and across the country need affordable access to this life-saving drug, and we share their concern over Mylan’s sustained price increases”. Mylan responded to the AG’s announcement, saying its EpiPen4Schools program provides free EpiPens to US schools, with more than 700,000 being given out.
GOP Sen. Rob Portman of OH and Democratic Sen.
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Heather Bresch, CEO of the pharmaceutical company, is the daughter of Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskillClaire McCaskillSenate panel launches EpiPen investigation Eyeing EpiPens, Clinton unveils plan to fight drug price spikes Senate Dem: You can say Trump and his “friend” Putin founded ISIS MORE (Mo.).
