In the wake of a media firestorm over price increases, pharmaceutical giant Mylan said it is making plans to decrease the price of EpiPens. The company had steadily increased the price of a two pack of EpiPens the last several years to about $600. Back in 2009, the price was $100.
The outrage for the price hike had been simmering for some time, but it didn’t boil over until Mylan received a stern message from Hillary Clinton about the prices. The company said in a statement that they would be offering a $300 savings card to those who would have to pay the full, out-of-pocket price. This 50 percent decrease would be for those that don’t have insurance or who have high deductible plans. In an interview with CNBC, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said they are working to make the EpiPens affordable for all those around:
“We responded this morning, first and foremost, ensuring that everybody that needs an EpiPen has an EpiPen. As a mother I can assure you that the last thing we could ever want is no one to have their EpiPen due to price.”
Bresch had said the price increases over the years were due to “the system,” which was out of their hands. It’s not the most straightforward answer, and some are not buying it. Senator Richard Blumenthal said “this step seems like a PR fix more than a real remedy, masking an exorbitant and callous price hike.” Mylan also said it will also work to expand the eligibility of financial assistance and create a pathway to sell the EpiPens directly to the consumers.