Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
EpiPen Is Getting Competition Again -- But It's Unclear Whether That Will Curb Prices
The New York Times: An EpiPen Rival Is About To Return To The Shelves
The EpiPen is about to get some more competition. The makers of the Auvi-Q, an EpiPen alternative taken off the market last year, announced on Wednesday that they would bring it back in 2017. The move is certain to be welcomed by many patients and lawmakers, who have denounced the rising price of EpiPens and the lack of strong competition. (Thomas, 10/26)
Bloomberg: EpiPen Competitor Will Re-Launch After Being Pulled Off Market
Mylan NV’s dominance of the U.S. allergy-shot market will be challenged next year as drugmaker Kaleo Inc. says it will resume sales of a competing product that was recalled last year. Kaleo’s injector, called Auvi-Q, was recalled from U.S. sales about a year ago over potential malfunctions that could give patients the wrong dose of drug. Closely-held Kaleo said in a statement Wednesday that the shot will return to the market in the first half of 2017. It hasn’t settled on a price, said Chief Executive Officer Spencer Williamson in a phone interview. (Chen, 10/26)
Stat: An EpiPen Alternative Is About To Return To Your Local Pharmacy
A company that now has the rights to a rival product plans to start marketing its allergic-reaction device in the first half of 2017. However, Kaleo Pharma declined to disclose the pricing for its Auvi-Q, which had previously been sold by Sanofi before being withdrawn late last year over reports that the device delivered inaccurate doses...The move, which had been indicated several weeks ago, comes amid raging controversy over EpiPen and the larger issue of the rising cost of medicines. Mylan Pharmaceuticals raised the price by 548 percent over the past decade to $608 for a two-pack of the device. But as insurers passed along more of the cost, consumers confronted bigger bills. (Silverman, 10/26)
NPR: Auvi-Q Maker Says Epinephrine Injector Will Be Available In 2017
Auvi-Q, one of the only direct competitors to the EpiPen, was pulled from the market by the pharmaceutical giant Sanofi last year. Sanofi said it had received a handful of reports that the device didn't deliver a reliable dose of epinephrine. ... The Auvi-Q is smaller than the EpiPen — about the size of a credit card and as thick as a smartphone — and it has audio instructions that guide a user through the injection process. Kaleo also makes Evzio, a popular auto-injector for naloxone, the opioid antidote used to treat overdoses. (Kodjak, 10/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Mylan Officials Unlikely To Lose Pay Over EpiPen Settlement
Executives of EpiPen maker Mylan NV are unlikely to suffer a reduction in their pay from the company’s recent $465 million settlement of allegations that it improperly overcharged Medicaid for the lifesaving drug. That is because Mylan historically has calculated executive pay using a nonstandard measure called “adjusted diluted” earnings, which excludes the costs of such litigation settlements, the company’s regulatory filings show. (Maremont and Francis, 10/27)
Bloomberg: Grassley Sets Judiciary Committee Hearing On EpiPen Settlement
Senator Chuck Grassley will hold a hearing to examine Mylan NV’s reported $465 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department regarding the drugmaker’s pricing of its EpiPen allergy shot for federal health programs. The hearing also will look at whether government programs are effectively preventing drugmakers from misrepresenting their products in ways that lead to higher costs for taxpayers, Grassley, an Iowa Republican who’s chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday in an e-mailed statement. (Lauerman, 10/26)
