Public Citizen Experts Available for Comment on Mylan CEO’s EpiPen Price Spikes Testimony Before House Oversight Committee
Sept. 19, 2016
Public Citizen Experts Available for Comment on Mylan CEO’s EpiPen Price Spikes Testimony Before House Oversight Committee
Experts Available to Propose Solutions to High-Priced Medications
Following Mylan’s failed attempts to quell national outrage over its price increases for the lifesaving allergy medication contained in an EpiPen, the company’s CEO, Heather Bresch, has been called to appear Wednesday at a congressional hearing about price gouging and the EpiPen. Mylan has been criticized by public officials, families and caregivers nationwide for astronomically raising the price of the product, which is used by people with life-threatening allergies. Mylan acquired the EpiPen in 2007 and has since raised the price from about $109 for a pair to more than $600 in 2016.
Public Citizen experts can provide a needed reality check on Bresch’s testimony and discuss solutions to ensuring that people have access to the medications they need:
Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, is an expert on drug pricing and patent issues.
Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicine program, has worked throughout the world to help countries overcome high-price pharmaceutical monopolies and secure the benefits of research and technologies for all people.
They can tell you that:
• Mylan is pricing the EpiPen so high simply because it can. The medication in the Epipen is not new, and the delivery device was patented nearly 40 years ago.
• Bresch’s attempts to quell the furor by offering coupons and a discounted generic version are not good enough.
• The solutions to high medication prices include a windfall profits tax, a more competitive generic industry and the rolling back of monopolies and exclusivities.
Public Citizen will live tweet on Wednesday during Bresch’s testimony and will provide a real-time reality check. Follow @Public_Citizen.
Learn about Public Citizen’s petition delivery to Mylan headquarters.