Mylan Plans Generic EpiPen to Quell Media Storm Over $600 Cost
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Mylan will sell a generic version of its EpiPen at half the price of the branded $600 emergency allergy shots in coming weeks, bowing to pressure from U.S. lawmakers who last week derided earlier steps as a mere public-relations fix.
The drugmaker, whose assistance programs to help patients cover out-of-pocket expenses were blasted as insufficient, will introduce a generic EpiPen identical to the branded product, including the handheld pen with a needle that injects the shot. The company also plans to continue to sell the branded version, according to a statement on Monday.
Mylan has attracted scrutiny for increasing the treatment’s price 400% in nine years. Criticism of Chief Executive Officer Heather Bresch, the daughter of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, quickly intensified as members of the Congress called for investigations and the EpiPen became campaign fodder. Introducing a so-called authorized generic, which doesn’t require formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration, is a fast way for Mylan to get a cheaper version out — without actually cutting the branded EpiPen’s price.
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