Mylan releases a half-price generic version of EpiPen

[burfman]

Source: Washington Post

Months after promised, Mylan has launched a half-price authorized generic of EpiPen, the lifesaving allergy injection that drew ire for its dramatic price increases.

A two-pack of the generic EpiPen will carry a list price of $300 and will reach pharmacies next week, the company announced Friday. In late August, Mylan said it would make the authorized generic, stating at the time that the drug would be available within “several weeks.”

Mylan chief executive Heather Bresch appeared before Congress in September to defend the price hikes of EpiPens. Since Mylan acquired the drug in 2007, the price has risen from less than $100 for a two-pack to more than $600. Sales of the drug have grown since then, from less than $200 million to nearly $1.7 billion last year, according to data from IMS Health.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/16/mylan-releases-a-half-priced-generic-version-of-epipen/?hpid=hp_rhp-more-top-stories_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.4d23469740e5

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It's hard to argue when you have a gun pressed to your head......

In 2007 it was two for $100 and now the 'generic' is two for $300

yeah it's down from two for $600, but they still have managed to triple the price over what it was 10 years ago.

Even allowing for inflation they are still screwing the public.

[Cattledog]

1. They should give it away

after the crap they tried to pull.

[forgotmylogin]

8. Epi-pens should be stocked everywhere like fire extinguishers.

One of the people I follow on Twitter is an EMT and she said when the price went up, they had a training session how to inject the stuff manually, which costs ~$5 for the disposable syringe.

The pen is convenient, but people with allergies should be allowed to request a short-needled syringe of the stuff to keep on their person and trained how to use it.

[Seedersandleechers]

2. There is a way around this BS

that people should take notice. Simply go to your doctor, get a prescription for a $5 multi-dose vial of epinephrine and based on your weight get the right dosage. Take an old altoid mint tin, put in a syringe, single alcohol wipes, the vial of epinephrine and use that. If insulin dependent diabetics can manage that so can others. Fuck Mylan.

[LeftyMom]

5. People can't do that while having an allergic reaction.

There are other auto-injectors, but auto-injectors are important. You can't roll your own while your eyes are swelling shut or you can't breathe, and kids and whatever helpful stranger needs to save your life certainly can't be counted upon to do so.

The whole damn point of an auto-injector is to be FAST and idiot-proof in an emergency.

[Seedersandleechers]

6. I understand the point of an auto-injector

but if it comes down to not affording one you can still have a pre-drawn syringe handy and possibly save a life. But sure, if you can afford one it's the way to go. Not everyone can.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. The other point of an auto injector is that they are designed to avoid hitting a vein

Not so much with a syringe.

Secondly, type 1 diabetics take a dose of basal insulin 1-2x a day and bolus insulin at meals (4-6x a day). There is a lot more practice involved with routine insulin injections vs one-off emergency injections when having an anaphalactic attack.

Check me on this one, but I believe vials and prefilled syringes of epinephrine need to be refrigerated like insulin, where the auto injectors of insulin and epinephrine don't.

It is way cheaper, but given the short shelf life, could be more dangerous in the long run for the general (not medically trained, not diabetic) population.

[LeftyMom]

9. You're correct.

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. Appreciate that validation - I wasn't sure.

[LS_Editor]

3. That decimal needs to be moved to the left twice.

[Seedersandleechers]

4. Don't think so...

http://www.clintpharmaceuticals.com/07-0906100-epinephrine-1-1000-1mg-ml-30ml-mdv.html

You wouldn't need a 30ml vial, but a 1ml vial. It really is very cheap.

[Yo_Mama]

11. Easy way to solve this problem - change US law so we can buy abroad.

In Canada, I can get the double pack EpiPen for under $150:
https://www.northwestpharmacy.com/product/epipen-auto-injector

That's the brand name, not the generic.

All it would take is Congress making it legal to buy in Canada for US consumers, and US pricing would plummet. It's time to do this.