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| Symjepi |
This should ease the pain of EpiPen users who are forced to pay exorbitant amounts to stay safe in a world where recalls due to allergens is an everyday happenstance now.
Sandoz will sell prefilled syringes with the same
medicine, the hormone epinephrine, under the name Symjepi. The price
will be $250 for two, without insurance. Still expensive but much cheaper than the Mylan EpiPen that cost $608 for a pair.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Generic drugmaker Sandoz announced plans
Thursday to start selling an alternative to the EpiPen in the U.S. early
next year.
The EpiPen injector is used to halt life-threatening
allergic reactions to insect bites, nuts and other foods. Brand-name
EpiPen, which dominates the market, has been in short supply since
spring because of production problems.
Sandoz will sell prefilled syringes with the same
medicine, the hormone epinephrine, under the name Symjepi. The price
will be $250 for two, without insurance.
Two generic versions of EpiPen are sold in the U.S. for
$300 a pair, including one from EpiPen seller Mylan. The company
started selling its own generic after it was blasted for repeated hikes
that pushed up its list price from $94 to $608 for a pair of brand-name
EpiPens.
What people pay varies, though, depending on insurance, discounts and the pharmacy.
Mylan’s injectors are made by a subsidiary of Pfizer,
which is upgrading factories to fix quality problems. That resulted in
production slowdowns. Pfizer said Thursday it’s shipping some injectors
and expects to ship more in the coming months.
The shortages triggered temporary shortages of other
similar products, including Auvi-Q. As a result, U.S. regulators let
some manufacturers extend expiration dates.
Sandoz, part of Novartis AG., will sell syringes with
an adult dose made by Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corp. A children’s version
will follow.
Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries began selling limited quantities of its new generic EpiPen in the U.S. last week.
Follow Linda A. Johnson on Twitter: @LindaJ_onPharma
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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
