Mom Says More Can Be Done to Make EpiPens More Affordable

Parents whose children require EpiPens are demanding that more be done as the company’s top leaders faced tough questioning on Capitol Hill amid skyrocketing costs.

“I am definitely not happy about their response,” Jill Negro, of Wallingford, said.

Her two young sons have potentially severe allergies and require EpiPens and Negro said it feels like Mylan Pharmaceuticals is taking advantage of her family.

On Wednesday, she watched as the drug maker’s CEO defended a 400 percent jump in the price of EpiPens in the last decade.

The lifesaving drug now sells for $600 per pack.

"Recent price increases have not yielded the revenue to Mylan that many assume,” Heather Bresch, CEO of Mylan, said.

Bresch pointed out that most people do not directly pay the full retail price.

Negro said she’s urged to have three packs per child and they all have to be replaced every year at a total cost of around $4,000.

“They’re forcing us to make a difficult choice. Do we pay thousands of dollars we can’t afford or do we go without lifesaving medication? And obviously I’m not willing to do that,” Negro said.

Mylan’s recently introduced $300 rebate does not go far enough to fix the problem, she said and worries that offer might run out.

She thinks more competition and a change of heart might be the real solution.

“Do they really need that much of a profit? I’d like to see them lower the price across the board,” Negro said.

Her family has already dipped into its savings and retirement money to help pay for the EpiPens and worries about what to do next time.

And the family’s pharmacy now reports the price of the drug has now gone up again to more than $700 a pack.

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