Ortiz: Put price controls on Mylan’s EpiPen
Some kids with allergies can’t afford life-saving device
Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz (Sunset Park, Red Hook) said the federal government should step in and regulate the process for pricing life-saving drugs like the EpiPen, an epinephrine auto-injector used by severe allergy sufferers.
EpiPen’s manufacture, Mylan, has jacked the price of the device up to a whopping $600 for a box of two, up from about $100 for two several years ago.
After a major outcry, the company agreed to put out a generic version of the pens for half the price, but consumers and officials are not mollified. Mylan also has a patient assistance program and announced a $300 savings card last week in an attempt to dampen outrage.