Health

EpiPen Users Score a Huge Victory

August 29th 2016

After intense public backlash over the soaring price of the EpiPen, Mylan has announced a plan to release a cheaper, generic version of the life saving tool.

epi-penFlickr/Grfriese - flickr.com

On Monday Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said that the company will launch a generic version of EpiPen that will cost 50 percent less than the brand name version. The list price for a two-pack of EpiPens, the emergency drug that fights life threatening anaphylaxis, is now more than $600. It was about $100 in 2008. The generic version would be listed at $300, according to a Mylan press release.

Bresch tried to counteract the greedy public image the company has earned in recent weeks.

"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," she said in a press release.

She also continued to blame the healthcare system and insurance deductibles for the high out-of-pocket costs for patients.

"Because of the complexity and opaqueness of today's branded pharmaceutical supply chain and the increased shifting of costs to patients as a result of high deductible health plans, we determined that bypassing the brand system in this case and offering an additional alternative was the best option."

EpiPenWikimedia Commons - wikimedia.org

However, as ATTN: previously reported, the increased list price starts at the beginning of the pharmaceutical supply chain and therefore affects the out-of-pocket costs for many healthcare consumers. High co-pays and deductibles, which were referenced by Bresch, do not factor into the list price of the EpiPen — and in fact are often increased due to high-priced drugs making it to the market.

Mylan's first generic version of EpiPen could be available within "several weeks," according to the company's press release.

RELATED: Image Responds to EpiPen Maker's Excuses

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