EpiPen has been in the news a lot this past week after yet another pharmaceutical company purchased a drug and increased the price by a massive amount. Learn more in our EpiPen review.
What is an EpiPen?
An EpiPen is an epinephrine auto injector. There are multiple types of epinephrine auto injectors. However, in the western world, the brand EpiPen tends to be the most popular. It’s led to an association like Kleenex or Zamboni, where we know a product by one popular brand name instead of its official product name.
Epinephrine auto injectors are typically used to treat anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction to something. If you have a severe allergy, you need to carry an epinephrine auto injector with you.
The EpiPen specifically comes from a military-grade technology called the Mark I NAAK ComboPen. That technology was developed to treat exposure to nerve agents – something that could occur during chemical warfare.
Why Use an EpiPen?
An EpiPen injects life-saving formula into your bloodstream. Prior to the invention of epinephrine auto injectors, people suffering from anaphylaxis had to use a syringe to deliver a dose of the life-saving formula.
Epinephrine auto injectors like the EpiPen are a superior alternative to syringes because they’re safer and they used a fixed dose. The user doesn’t have to handle an exposed needle. And, because the EpiPen uses intramuscular injection, users avoid the risk of injecting a vein (something that can lead to a fatal dose that causes your heart to beat uncontrollably).
How Does the EpiPen Work?
Epinephrine auto injectors like the EpiPen contain a fixed dose of epinephrine. That dose is contained behind a spring-loaded needle.
When you need to use the EpiPen, the needle exits the tip of the device and penetrates your skin, delivering the dose via intramuscular injection (going into your muscles instead of directly into your bloodstream).
The EpiPen was first developed in the mid-1970s. Today, it dominates the American marketplace.
The EpiPen Controversy in 2016
In 2016, pharmaceutical company Mylan raised the price of an EpiPen from $57 each (in 200) to $600 for a package of two (in 2016).
Mylan originally purchased the right to market the EpiPen from Merck KGaA after working out a deal with the company in 2007. Mylan’s CEO, Heather Bresch, has come under fire for the enormous price hike – especially since the FDA has frequently rejected calls for a generic EpiPen.
The problem isn’t just that the EpiPen used to cost $57: it’s the fact that the EpiPen delivers just $1 worth of formula. Everything on top of that is profit for the pharmaceutical company.
Why Do People Hate Mylan’s CEO, Heather Bresch?
Mylan and its CEO, Heather Bresch, have faced enormous controversy after hiking the price of the EpiPen by nearly 500%. Many have drawn the obvious comparison to Martin Shkreli, the infamous pharmaceutical executive who hiked the price of AIDS treatment drugs.
Heather’s company has raised the price of a lifesaving pharmaceutical drug by 500% over the years, which means that people are dying because they can no longer afford an EpiPen.
That’s reason enough for many people to dislike her.
However, Heather has created controversy outside of her EpiPen issue. First, her father is Joe Manchin, the senior US Senator from West Virginia (and prominent politician – including governor of West Virginia – throughout his career). And second, she lied about having an MBA degree.
The MBA controversy is over whether or not Bresch actually graduated from WVU’s MBA program. We know that she graduated from WVU in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations. However, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in 2007 that Bresch claims to have an MBA degree from WVU.
Meanwhile, the university responded by stating that Heather had never completed her MBA and did not have a degree from the university.
Then, the university suddenly flipped sides. Despite the fact that Heather had just 22 out of the required 48 credits for her MBA, WVU awarded her an Executive MBA (EMBA) degree. During this time, her father was governor of the state of West Virginia.
In any case, the 47-year old businesswoman has moved quickly to calm the controversy over the EpiPen price hike.
How Mylan and Heather Bresch Responded to Price Hike Controversy
When Martin Shkreli was facing criticism over hiking the price of a life-saving drug, he responded by stating that his company would absolutely not consider reversing the price hike.
Mylan CEO Heather Bresch has taken a different approach. Bresch moved quickly to quell public anger about the prices – although many people are still not satisfied.
Basically, Mylan announced that it would offer financial assistance with co-payments for patients with commercial insurance while expanding the number of uninsured patients eligible for free EpiPens.
In other words, Mylan is giving small discounts on a select few individuals who need EpiPens.
Mylan viewed itself as a hero after announcing the news – but critics quickly disagreed. Mylan did not actually lower the list price of the EpiPen. It’s still sitting at $600 for a pack of two, up from less than $100 in 2007.
The problem isn’t just that allergic individuals are going to die as a result of Mylan’s price hike. It’s a problem for health systems, school districts, and insurance companies, all of which are facing huge price hikes as a result of Mylan’s decision. These costs will be passed onto consumers.
Heather Wants You to Blame the “Broken” Health Care System
Heather Bresch, meanwhile is deflecting the blame away from herself and her company, stating that Americans should redirect their anger towards the “broken” health care system.
Heather, after all, is just being a good businesswoman. The best way to make money is to raise the price of something people can’t afford to go without. People can choose either to die or pay the price hike on the EpiPen. It’s smart business – but that hasn’t made people any less upset.
