Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pricing Backlash Spurs Mylan To Offer EpiPen Discounts For Some Groups
Responding to a growing furor from consumers and politicians, the pharmaceutical company Mylan said on Thursday that it would lower the cost to some patients of the EpiPen, which is used to treat life-threatening allergy attacks. The company said it would take immediate action, including providing a savings card that would cover up to $300 of the cost of a pack of two EpiPens, an increase from the $100 savings card it had been offering. (Pollack, 8/25)
In the face of withering criticism, Mylan Pharmaceuticals聽took steps聽Thursday to make its聽EpiPen聽device more affordable. Specifically, the company is increasing the amount of money on a copay assistance card from $100 to $300, and is also widening eligibility for patients to receive the device through that聽assistance program. 鈥淲e recognize the significant burden on patients from continued, rising insurance premiums and being forced increasingly to pay the full list price for medicines at the pharmacy counter. Patients deserve increased price transparency and affordable care, particularly as the system shifts significant costs to them,鈥 Mylan chief executive officer Heather Bresch said in a statement. (Silverman, 8/25)
Mylan NV said on Thursday it would reduce the out-of-pocket cost of its severe allergy treatment EpiPen through a discount program, a day after Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton joined lawmakers in criticizing the drug's high price.The company, which did not lower the drug's list price, said it would reduce the patient cost of EpiPen through the use of a savings card, which will cover up to $300 of EpiPen 2-Pak. (Banerjee, 8/25)
After widespread criticism recently, Mylan said Thursday it would expand access and increase benefits to programs that it uses to help consumers pay less, but those changes wouldn鈥檛 alter the prices that insurers and employers pay. Those institutions will still face the brunt of the impact from the price hikes, though they are frequently able to privately negotiate cheaper prices than the ones listed. (Hufford and Rockoff, 8/25)
