Sen. Manchin Mum on EpiPen Hikes by Daughter's Drug Company
Sen. Manchin Mum on EpiPen Hikes by Daughter's Drug Company
· By JONATHAN MATTISE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Aug 24, 2016, 7:02 PM ET
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin remained mum Wednesday as a pharmaceutical company run by his daughter faced mounting criticism for hiking prices on life-saving allergy injection pens.
The Democratic West Virginia senator's daughter, Heather Bresch, is CEO of Mylan, the manufacturer of EpiPens. A two-dose package, costing around $94 nine years ago, rose more than 600 percent to an average cost of $608 in May, according to the Elsevier Clinical Solutions' Gold Standard Drug Database.
Manchin spokesman Jonathan Kott said Wednesday the senator had no comment right now. His silence contrasted with a growing number of leaders crying foul on the ballooning prices, including fellow senators and the presidential candidate Manchin has endorsed, Hillary Clinton .
None of them, Democrats or Republicans, went out of their way to mention Manchin's family connection.
Bresch made $18.9 million total compensation in 2015, 7.7 times greater than her $2.45 million pay when she was Mylan's president in 2007. Her predecessor as CEO made almost $15 million in 2007, according to SEC filings.
Earlier this month, Mylan reported quarterly revenues of $2.56 billion, up 8 percent compared to the prior year. It reported second quarter net income of $168.4 million.
A Mylan statement Monday cited health insurance changes resulting in higher deductible costs for many families. It pointed out its savings programs for patients and free EpiPens for schools, with around half of U.S. schools participating.
"This current and ongoing shift has presented new challenges for consumers, and now they are bearing more of the cost" of the devices, the statement said.
Earlier this month, Mylan was one of the companies Manchin praised for donating money to help build homes in flood-ravaged West Virginia.
Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota addressed the price hike at press conferences alongside doctors and affected families Wednesday.
Asked Wednesday if Manchin's connection would make senators hesitant to take on the price hike issue, Klobuchar said she hopes not.
"I think we have an obligation to the American people to do our job regardless of who is related to who at a company," Klobuchar told reporters. "And I have never seen Senator Manchin intervene himself in any of these cases involving this company. I've never seen that happen. I know him very well."
In a letter to Bresch dated Monday, Blumenthal posed a series of questions and demanded for Mylan to drop the price. Blumenthal and Klobuchar are calling for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and a Federal Trade Commission investigation into possible antitrust violations at Mylan.
"Due to Mylan's virtual monopoly of the epinephrine auto-injector market and its unique life-saving attribute, it is crucial that your product remains affordable for all Americans," Blumenthal wrote. "Therefore, I demand that Mylan take immediate action to lower the price of EpiPen's for all Americans that rely on this product for their health and safety."
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Mark Warner , D-Virginia, penned their own letters expressing concerns over the prices. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Manchin's GOP counterpart in West Virginia, said questions on the increase should be answered "fully and promptly."
In the U.S. House, Rep. Grace Meng, D-New York, on Tuesday asked the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold a hearing on the issue.
Meanwhile, several senators on Wednesday asked the Food and Drug Administration about its approval process for generic equivalents that might help increase competition and lower prices.
Clinton echoed calls for Mylan to reduce the "outrageous" price hike. She said pharmaceutical companies should have to explain price increases and show what benefits and value have been added.
Pharmaceutical and biotech industries can fuel American innovation, and combat debilitating diseases, Clinton said in the statement Wednesday. But she added that "it's wrong when drug companies put profits ahead of patients, raising prices without justifying the value behind them."
Dr. Andrew Gurman, American Medical Association president, said the EpiPen price increase could "keep them out of reach of people in need or force some families to choose between EpiPens and other essentials."
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/sen-manchin-mum-epipen-hikes-daughters-drug-company-41631717
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Sounds like the patent for this product is getting ready to expire and this is their last push to make record breaking profits before they lose the monopoly.
That's probably true Pj.
What the hell it's only peoples lives, as long as the company can keep making billions what a few lives.
If the patent is getting ready to expire then I'm sure companies have already submitted their ANDA's in anticipation of the market opening up and FDA does have a fast track process so the companies can get the generic product on the market. I think one of the issues was whether companies could produce the pens at a cost that would allow them to sell at a generic price while also making a profit. This product will probably need to go through more than one review because it's considered a device and a drug.
A little clarification is needed here.
This is NOT on patent.
There are other, similar devices that have been approved on other countries, but because it lacks the requisite "sameness" of the EpiPen, the FDA will not approve it.
There are also one or two (not sure) companies developing a generic choice, but it takes 48 months(!) on average to get an FDA approval.
I am in no way excusing Mylan's behavior, but there are a few forces responsible for this.
There was also a company tgat had a small fraction of the market already in the US but they were closed by the FDA because of quality issues.
Teva Pharmaceutical of Israel produces many generic medications used around the world, at affordable prices. They submitted their application for an epipen but were not yet approved. I would like to know how much money passed hands to block their approval. If I were born yesterday I wouldn't think that money talks when it comes to government approvals.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ADR) (NYSE: TEVA ) announced in a regulatory filing on Monday that it has received notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to its epinephrine.
Teva said that the FDA identified "certain major deficiencies" and now expects its epinephrine product to be "significantly delayed." Any launch will not take place prior to 2017.
“Certain major deficiencies”? BULLSHIT!!! Maybe Teva didn’t “grease the wheel” and Mylan did, or did it really have to because of “daddy dear”, the Senator.
Healthcare, meet profit motive. Now go fuck each other at the expense of the populace.
Exactly - this can only be viewed as price gouging.
I just saw on MSNBC that Martin Skhreli is now defending Manchin - now that it's "finally starting to make a little bit of money on the EpiPen." Lol!
OMG - I was literally just thinking about him and wondering what he was up to. This is too funny. I hope this company knows that with this guys endorsement things are not going to get better for them.
I keep an epipen handy for bee stings, and there is no way I'm going to be able to afford the medication. Insurance doesn't cover it, so it's $600 up front. Our crappy insurance just also changed it's co-pay on my arthritis medicine-- from $90 to $260, about a 3X increase. I won't be taking my arthritis medication, either.
May they all rot in hell, taking advantage of sick people. THIS is what I want Obamacare to fix.
Obamacare can't dictate to medical providers or private insurance companies a reasonable cap on charges for medical goods and services. That's the big retarded rule we live by in the US, unlike every other developed nation on the planet with better and cheaper healthcare.
I know. That is what I want to be fixed. No pharmaceutical company should be able to hike prices by this much! It's ridiculous!
For what holds itself out as being the greatest country in the world, your health care costs are UNCONSCIONABLE. The whole system stinks - all for the benefit of the big pharmaceutical companies who I am sure donate vastly to the government to keep their CEOs and shareholders rich and poor people even poorer. How can anyone be proud of a system like that? Lots of Americans who live close to the border buy their medications in Canada where there are many reasonably priced generic drugs. Not only the reasonableness for the general public, as a senior citizen in Canada I would only have to pay an annual $100 fee and a small dispensing fee for any prescription drugs.
Of course you have your fellow citizens screaming "Commies", "Pinkoes" about such benefits that make sure NOBODY goes bankrupt or cannot afford necessary medical care in Canada.
Here you go - order from Canada:
EpiPen (Epinephrine)
Epipen (Rx)
1 syringe US$135.99
2 syringes US$256.99
0.3mg/0.3ml Auto-injector Solution
Manufactured by Mylan Specialty L.P - Product of Canada - Shipped from Canada - Can not be split
Epipen Jr Auto-Injector (Rx)
2 syringes US$148.99
0.15mg/0.3ml Solution
EpiPen is also marketed internationally under the name Epipen Jr Auto-Injector
Manufactured by Meda Pharmaceuticals - Product of UK/EU - Shipped from United Kingdom
(Rx) - indicates only available by prescription
To comply with Canadian International Pharmacy Association regulations you are permitted to order a 3 month or 100 day supply based on your personal prescription.
Looks to me that only you Americans are being gouged.
That's because Americans subsidize Canadian drug costs. You're welcome, Canucks.
I use an epipen for insect bites, too. They say you should replace it annually, but in reality, as long as the fluid isn't cloudy, the pen is fine. It can last more like 3 years.
BTW I checked this out with my dr.
Good news! Thank heavens I haven't had to use mine...
Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli, aka the most hated man in America, has given the drug company a thumbs up for it's price gouging. So it's all good.
John Paulson, a hedge fund billionaire, is one of Donald Trump's biggest Wall St. backers. I read today that Paulson's hedge funds interest in Mylan Pharmaceuticals is the fund's largest single holding.
Why am I not surprised?
So what? It's also run by a Democratic legislator's daughter. Seems suspicious...