Seeking solutions
Mylan N.V., in the face of heated criticism over price increases for its EpiPen emergency allergy treatment, is bulking up programs that help patients pay for the drug.
The generic drugmaker, which is incorporated in the Netherlands but has its administrative headquarters in Southpointe, laid out a plan Thursday to expand its patient assistance program and offer $300 savings cards for its EpiPen 2-Pak.
There is no change in the price of the treatment, however, which is what has drawn ire both in Congress and from families who have had to shell out increasingly large sums for the potentially life-saving treatment.
Mylan boosted prices for EpiPen as frequently as three times a year over the past nine years. A two-dose EpiPen package cost around $94 nine years ago but has climbed more than 600 percent to an average cost of $608 in May, according to the Elsevier Clinical Solutions’ Gold Standard Drug Database.
Mylan did not immediately return calls from the Associated Press early Thursday about the drug’s price.
Mylan N.V. said it’s doubling eligibility for its patient assistance program, which it said will get rid of out-of-pocket costs for uninsured and underinsured patients and families. It also noted that the $300 savings card will cover about half the cost for patients who would otherwise have to pay the full list price.
Patients also will be able to order the injected emergency medicine for severe allergic reactions directly from the company to help lower costs, Mylan said.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and members of Congress from both parties have been calling on Mylan to address the pricing.
U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-18th District, contacted Mylan Wednesday and said he asked the company for “all of the variables that went into” the pricing of the EpiPen.
Murphy, who holds a senior position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is chairman of Oversight and Investigations, which has jurisdiction over food and drug issues.
Pharmaceutical and biotech industries can fuel American innovation and combat debilitating diseases, Clinton said in a statement Wednesday. But she added “it’s wrong when drug companies put profits ahead of patients, raising prices without justifying the value behind them.”
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said while he was pleased with Mylan’s plan to make the medicine more affordable, its price increases over the years were unjustified.
“The dramatic price increase put in place by Mylan was outrageous. I’m pleased they’re doing more to increase access, but it’s frankly not enough,” Casey said in a statement. “These are lifesaving drugs that families need. Increasing the cost of EpiPens by 488 percent since 2009 made it more difficult for middle-class families to access these devices and puts lives at risk. EpiPens have been around for many years. It’s hard to imagine what changes Mylan could have made in order to justify such an obscene increase in price.”
Clinton said through her campaign spokesman Tyrone Gayle Thursday that Mylan’s plan didn’t go far enough.
“Hillary welcomes the fact that Mylan is now apparently open to taking steps to lower some of the cost sharing burdens imposed on families,” Gayle said in an e-mailed statement. “However, discounts for selected customers without lowering the overall price of EpiPens are insufficient, because the excessive price will likely be passed on through higher insurance premiums. Since there is no apparent justification for the price increase, Mylan should immediately lower the overall price of EpiPens.”
Sherri Pruce of North Strabane Township said she purchases the EpiPen about once a year as a precaution for her son, Jonathan Abbondanza, 16, who is highly allergic to fish and shellfish and is also allergic to peanuts and tree nuts.
She said she was able to purchase the EpiPen for a $30 copay through her health maintenance drug plan before the price skyrocketed, but the plan does not permit her to use Mylan’s coupons.
“Luckily, my son has never had to use an EpiPen,” Pruce said in an email. “If we did use it, then it would need to be immediately refilled” because of the severity of his allergies.
Last year, more than 3.6 million U.S. prescriptions for two-packs of EpiPens were filled, according to data firm IMS Health. That earned Mylan nearly $1.7 billion.
EpiPens are used in emergencies to treat severe allergies that can lead to anaphylactic shock. Roughly 40 million Americans have severe allergies to spider bites, bee stings and foods such as nuts, eggs and shellfish.