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EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

nytimes.com

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Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#11

Post by wyldfire »

maxerickson wrote: post #4

Does the FDA have the authority to deny marketing approval for minor improvements? Mylan pushed generics off the market by making a better cap or something, the FDA should just say no, that improvement is nice but it isn't enough to give you exclusive marketing rights. If you want to incorporate it into your product, license it to your competitors for cheap.

FDA's genesis was bound pretty close to marketing. If you wanted to sell "Aunt Eliza's Magic Elixir" and claim that it "cures all ails: backaches, headaches, etc", you are required to show evidence that validates those claims. See Pure Food and Drug Act.

FDA's responsibility is mutually exclusive with USPTO which would approve/deny patents based on "novelty".

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#13

Post by jackmott »

lettergram wrote: post #5

Having multiple deadly allergies and needing to purchase EpiPens regularly, their price doesn't seem outrageous to me. I pay about $10 a pen, insurance pays about $100 per (even after the price increase). That being said, people rarely use this drug. $100 to save your life once a year or so kind of seems like a fair trade. This seems more like the media is outraged as opposed to the country. All my friends don't even…

How much does your insurance plan cost you per year? If your employer pays it, ask them how much they have to pay.

Part of the reason it is so expensive is because of monopolistic pricing on many drugs and treatments.

You are paying way more than $100

Also you have to buy more than one because they expire.

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#14

Post by jackmott »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #9
lettergram wrote: post #5

Having multiple deadly allergies and needing to purchase EpiPens regularly, their price doesn't seem outrageous to me. I pay about $10 a pen, insurance pays about $100 per (even after the price increase). That being said, people rarely use this drug. $100 to save your life once a year or so kind of seems like a fair trade. This seems more like the media is outraged as opposed to the country. All my friends don't even…

...says the guy with (good) insurance.

works on MY machine!

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#15

Post by jackmott »

tn13 wrote: post #12

And what does NYT expect him do to ? Open a charity, raise a kickstarter to provide free EpiPens ? I hope he makes a fortune and inspires more to come up with those kind of drugs.

Her. We expect her to be out of a job when healthcare becomes socialized, then she can move into the financial sector and rip people off there.

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#16

Post by raverbashing »

lettergram wrote: post #5

Having multiple deadly allergies and needing to purchase EpiPens regularly, their price doesn't seem outrageous to me. I pay about $10 a pen, insurance pays about $100 per (even after the price increase). That being said, people rarely use this drug. $100 to save your life once a year or so kind of seems like a fair trade. This seems more like the media is outraged as opposed to the country. All my friends don't even…

You should care

You (and everybody else) pay the increase in increased premiums

Regulation prevents (cheaper) alternatives from reaching the market

Not to mention $100 for an Epipen is just a ridiculous price

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#17

Post by bradleyjg »

maxerickson wrote: post #4

Does the FDA have the authority to deny marketing approval for minor improvements? Mylan pushed generics off the market by making a better cap or something, the FDA should just say no, that improvement is nice but it isn't enough to give you exclusive marketing rights. If you want to incorporate it into your product, license it to your competitors for cheap.

>> Does the FDA have the authority to deny marketing approval for minor improvements?

They certainly don't. Look at Nexium, it is something close to a blatant scam but the FDA approved it and between Medicare and Medicaid alone the federal government has rewarded the scammers (AstraZeneca) with billions of dollars never mind private insurance companies.

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#18

Post by maxerickson »

wyldfire wrote: post #11
maxerickson wrote: post #4

Does the FDA have the authority to deny marketing approval for minor improvements? Mylan pushed generics off the market by making a better cap or something, the FDA should just say no, that improvement is nice but it isn't enough to give you exclusive marketing rights. If you want to incorporate it into your product, license it to your competitors for cheap.

FDA's genesis was bound pretty close to marketing. If you wanted to sell "Aunt Eliza's Magic Elixir" and claim that it "cures all ails: backaches, headaches, etc", you are required to show evidence that validates those claims. See Pure Food and Drug Act. FDA's responsibility is mutually exclusive with USPTO which would approve/deny patents based on "novelty".

I'm not suggesting that the FDA could deny a patent. I'm suggesting that the FDA could simply refuse to approve the new version of a product.

In the case where there are generics and the improvement is small, it doesn't matter if the company decides to take their ball and go home. It might be a fine line to walk, but the improvements to the Epipen don't seem to be very substantial (it's kind of hard to figure out what the improvements are with so much coverage of the recent events).

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#19

Post by bradleyjg »

This whole drug company argument -- that the only thing that really matters is what end users pay as a co-pay or co-insurance and that no one should care what insurance companies (including governments) pay -- is so breathtakingly bad I can only imagine it is in bad faith. Where do they expect us to believe the institutional payments are coming from, out of thin air?

Re: EpiPen Maker Quietly Steers Effort That Could Protect Its Price

#20

Post by skolos »

lettergram wrote: post #5

Having multiple deadly allergies and needing to purchase EpiPens regularly, their price doesn't seem outrageous to me. I pay about $10 a pen, insurance pays about $100 per (even after the price increase). That being said, people rarely use this drug. $100 to save your life once a year or so kind of seems like a fair trade. This seems more like the media is outraged as opposed to the country. All my friends don't even…

You need to purchase EpiPens, and you happy how your insurance pays most of the price. Somebody else on your insurance plan needs some other drug that is overcharged, but subsidized by an insurance. You both think that you've got good deal, but actually you both (or your employer) paying for your drugs (almost) full price anyways - through insurance premium. Or you think the premium will stay same if drug prices keep increasing?
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