Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Following Intense Scrutiny From Congress, Drugmaker To Offer Significantly Cheaper Version Of Anti-Overdose Medication
The Hill: Drug Company To Offer Cheaper Opioid Overdose Treatment After Hiking Price 600 Percent
A drug company is offering a significantly cheaper version of its life-saving opioid overdose treatment after a Senate investigation found that it spiked the price of its drug. A report from the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations last month found that the company, Kaléo, hiked the price of its drug Evzio to $4,100 for two injectors, raising the price by more than 600 percent between 2014 and 2017. (Sullivan, 12/12)
CQ: Drug Manufacturer Announces Cheaper, Generic Opioid Antidote
Kaleo currently sells Evzio, a naloxone auto-injector that uses voice navigation to walk individuals through how to counteract an overdose. The generic will mirror Evzio in terms of design and formulation and is expected to be released in mid-2019. “We have been in dialogues with a broad array with different members of the community — different organizations both in the administration and other members of government,” Omar Khalil, Kaleo’s general manager for addiction and neurology, told CQ. Khalil said this included the Office of the Surgeon General and Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio and Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., the top lawmakers on a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee. (Raman, 12/12)
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Kaléo To Create Generic Opioid Overdose Antidote And Cut Prices On Evzio Brand
In addition, a generic version of Evzio should be on the market by midyear 2019 at a list price of $178 per two-dose kit, the company said. Kaléo subsidiary IJ Therapeutics will offer the product. The company’s change to the pricing of the potentially life-saving drug came weeks after Kaléo was the focus of a CBS “60 Minutes” segment in November that reported it “jacked up” the drug’s list price from about $575 to $4,000. The current list price is $4,100, the company confirmed Wednesday. (Smith, 12/12)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Drug Company Lowers Price Of Overdose Remedy After Sen. Rob Portman Accused It Of Gouging
The company has been working “for some time” with insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to increase access to the drug, said a statement from kaléo President and CEO Spencer Williamson. “With approximately 130 people dying daily from opioid overdoses, we recognize that more needs to be done to improve access for patients,” Williamson’s statement said. (Eaton, 12/12)
