Just a week after CVS revealed its $10 alternative to the EpiPen, manufacturer Kaleo Pharma announced their rescue allergy injectable is available to some consumers for free.
Auvi-Q—an auto-adrenaline-injection similar to EpiPen—had a recall last fall, but will return to shelves by February 14, according to Kaleo Pharma. The drug will cost $360, but the company has provided two ways for consumers to acquire Auvi-Q at no charge.
Anyone with health insurance—no matter the deductible—will be able to get Auvi-Q with no out of pocket cost. It is also available at no cost to any patient without health insurance who’s household has an annual income less than $100,000.
Spencer Williamson—president and CEO of Kaleo—told reporters on Thursday that “No epinephrine auto-injector, branded or even generic, will cost a commercially insured patient less out of pocket than Auvi-Q.”
The news comes just months after Mylan, the manufacturer or EpiPen, received heavy criticism after raising the price of a two-pack of EpiPens to over $600. A two-pack of EpiPens cost consumers $100 when the company first acquired the rights to the drug.
Mylan recently announced a generic version of the life-saving drug that would stop anaphylactic shock for just $300 per two-pack. Many politicians were not impressed by the company’s tactics, including Bernie Sanders, who said on Twitter that the generic “isn’t a discount. It’s a PR move.”
The CVS generic EpiPen alternative is called Adrenaclick, which is listed at $110 for a two-pack. CVS Health is currently distributing a coupon that will discount $100 from the cost of the drug. The company has said that most customers will only pay $10 for Adrenaclick.
With companies providing EpiPen alternatives at such competitive costs, Mylan may see a future decrease in profits.
