Senate opens inquiry into EpiPen pricing


The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is opening an inquiry into the pharmaceutical company Mylan's pricing of the EpiPen, it announced on Wednesday. The EpiPen, which stops potentially fatal allergic reactions by injecting a precise dose of epinephrine, now costs about $600 for a two-pack, up from roughly $100 when Mylan acquired EpiPen in 2007.
Mylan last month announced it would offer a generic version of the EpiPen in response to backlash over the skyrocketing prices, but lawmakers are still dissatisfied. The inquiry will be headed by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), but Congress has only a few weeks to act before it adjourns Oct. 1 for an election season recess.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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