Families with severe allergies often rely on EpiPens to
deliver a dose of potentially life-saving medicine if a child has a bad
reaction. But the cost of the EpiPen is surging, putting the pinch on
many families.
The EpiPen is filled with epinephrine, which can
counter the effects of a severe allergic reaction. The auto-injector's
price has risen by more than 480 percent since 2009. The actual cost of
the drug inside the EpiPen is only a couple bucks, reports CBS News
correspondent Vinita Nair. So the manufacturer is essentially charging
hundreds of dollars for a case -- and a trusted name.
In 2009, pharmacies paid slightly more than $100 for a 2-pack of EpiPens. The price has since skyrocketed to more than $600.
"If they don't have [the EpiPen], it could mean life or death," pharmacist Leon Tarasenko said.
Tarasenko said the high prices are forcing some families to take risks.
"Within the last two months, we've had about
three patients who had issues with the price of an EpiPen. And we
actually -- they did not receive it. They just refused to take it,"
Tarasenko said.
Bloomberg senior medical reporter Robert Langreth
says the manufacturer of the device, Mylan, has a virtual monopoly after
its main competitor launched a recall last fall.
"This brand name, EpiPen, it's like Kleenex to
allergists," Langreth said. "You know, it's a name they know and trust.
It's what they prescribe."
He said the company has remarketed the
decades-old device without making any significant changes since
acquiring it in 2007. It has spent tens of millions of dollars on TV ads
and donated the device to schools across the U.S., ensuring it was a
familiar product.
"It's a totally established brand name with
little competition," Langreth said. "That gives them freedom to raise
the price every year."
In a statement, Mylan tells CBS News the EpiPen's
price "has changed over time to better reflect important product
features and the value the product provides," saying "we've made a
significant investment to support the device over the past years."
The company offers coupons, which have allowed
many patients to pay nothing out-of-pocket. Those coupons are worth up
to $100, so families with high deductibles like the Henegars are still
on the hook for the majority of the cost.
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