EpiPen manufacturer to lower patient costs after backlash

Backlash over the dramatically increased price of allergy drug EpiPen pushed the drug's manufacturer, Mylan, to announce Thursday that it would cut patient costs. The company plans to offer a savings card for patients with higher out-of-pocket costs, which, Reuters reported, will cover "up to $300" for a two-pack of epinephrine dispensers and cut costs for a patient paying list price by about 50 percent. Mylan will also double eligibility for its existing patient assistance program, which benefits those who are uninsured and under-insured.

"We 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," Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said in a statement. "Patients deserve increased price transparency and affordable care, particularly as the system shifts significant costs to them."

Mylan's announcement comes a day after Hillary Clinton called on the company to decrease the price of EpiPen. Since Mylan bought EpiPen in 2007, the wholesale price has jumped from less than $100 for a set of two epinephrine dispensers to as much as $700.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up