“Mylan executives give her all the credit for recognizing the potential of the epinephrine auto-injector when Mylan acquired it” in 2007, the magazine said, noting that EpiPen sales soared from around $200 million back then to some $1 billion by 2014. Some of Mylan’s actions include a savings card for 0 off the $600 list price for those with commercial insurance, and a $300 authorized generic version that is in the works.
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Amedra pharmaceuticals makes Adrenaclick, which has an injector with two caps (EpiPen only has one).
New Jersey lawmakers expressed outrage at the dramatic increase in the cost of Epi-Pens at a hearing Thursday while pharmacists testified that some patients were going without their prescriptions because of the $600 price tag.
“Approval of a therapeutic-equivalent alternative to the EpiPen would help ensure that epinephrine is available in safe, affordable forms to those who most need this life-saving medication”, Conaway (D-Burlington) said in a statement. It involves a spring-loaded injection system, created to easily calibrate an accurate dose of epinephrine, a powerful drug that can reverse allergic reactions that result in anaphylaxis – a terrifying condition that can involve convulsions, cramping, fainting, heart palpitations, and difficulty breathing.
Mylan did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the investigation, but the company previously told Business Insider that there was a “a limited purchase restriction, but such restriction no longer remains”. “It’s much better to carry them on your own person, but that’s not an option if they’re so expensive people can’t afford them”. “Tomorrow it’s another drug your family needs”, added Sen.
When someone with a severe allergy goes into anaphylactic shock and can’t breathe, “seconds count”, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said in a recent CNBC interview about the EpiPen, which now has a sticker price of $608 per two-pack.
Other launch products to hit the market have been faulty, causing even more distrust among people unwilling to risk their lives with a potentially ineffective product.
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“Drug companies who have no respect for our taxpayers and no respect for the health care system”, state Sen. A two-box prescription would retail for about $300.
