Soon you won't have to buy the EpiPen
EpiPen's vicelike grip on the allergy shot market is about to be significantly loosened.
A competitor, the Auvi-Q from drugmaker Kaleon Inc., is set to re-enter the fray after being recalled last year, giving consumers a choice between products once again.
It's expected to hit shelves in the first half of 2017.
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Mylan's EpiPen hit the headlines in August this year after consumers realized en masse that the potentially life-saving product had increased in price from around $50 in 2007 to $300 in 2016.
The pen, which is essentially an epinephrine autoinjector that delivers a precise dose to people with serious allergies, creeped up in price over the years. Its dominance of the market — along with an effective marketing campaign — allowed Mylan to up the cost continually, until a change in insurance policies shifted more of the financial brunt onto consumers.
After a hefty wave of people power on social media — and celebrity admonishments — the company caved in and said it would slash the price in half.
Kaleo announced the return of Auvi-Q Wednesday.
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The company's CEO Spencer Williamson told Bloomberg it hadn't decided on a price yet.
“We’re working with multiple stakeholders including wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers, insurers, etc., to establish a comprehensive access program,” he said. “We’re focused on minimizing the out-of-pocket costs for the patient.”
Auvi-Q was launched in the U.S. in 2013, but suspected inaccuracies in dosage saw it pulled from shelves in October 2015. During that time it was marketed by pharma firm Sanofi, but it's since passed back to Kaleo.
The Auvi-Q only took a 10 percent share of the market when it was available, Bloomberg calculates, but that might well increase this time round.
Tim Chester was Senior Editor, Real Time News in Los Angeles. Before that he was Deputy Editor of Mashable UK in London. Prior to joining Mashable, Tim was a Senior Web Editor at Penguin Random House, helping to relaunch the Rough Guides website and other travel brands. He was also a writer for Buzzfeed, GQ and The Sunday Times, covering everything from culture to tech and current affairs. Before that, he was Deputy Editor at NME.COM, overseeing content and development on the London-based music and entertainment site. Tim loves music and travel and has combined these two passions at festivals from Iceland to Malawi and beyond.
