CALIFORNIA PODIATRIST CRITICAL OF EPIPEN PRICE HIKE
posted: Aug. 26, 2016.
A California podiatrist's editorial on the greater than 400% price increase of EpiPen was shared thousands of times, including by New York Times reporters. Dr. Lee Rogers was critical of drug maker Mylan Pharmaceutical's move to increase the price of the generic drug epinephrine for anaphylaxis. When Mylan acquired EpiPen in 2007, the price was $57. Now it averages $640, can only be purchased in packs of two, and expires in a year.
Dr. Lee Rogers |
Rogers was also one of the first to point out that Mylan's CEO is the daughter of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and has a history of shady business dealings. Rogers wrote to patients, "if you can't afford to be price-gouged for $600, there are alternatives that are still just as life-saving."