Mylan To Bring Generic EpiPen To Market; Critics Say Move Is A Smokescreen
The generic version will cost $300, about half the price of the EpiPen-branded medication. But the company could actually end up making more money in the end.
The New York Times:
Mylan Tries Again To Quell Pricing Outrage By Offering Generic EpiPen
In its latest move to quell outrage over its price increases, the maker of the EpiPen has resorted to an unusual tactic — introducing a generic version of its own product. The company, Mylan, said on Monday that the generic EpiPen would be identical to the existing product, which is used to treat severe allergic reactions. But it will have a wholesale list price of $300 for a pack of two, half the price of the brand-name EpiPen. (Pollack, 8/29)
In other national health care news —
The Wall Street Journal:
Potential Zika Virus Therapies Identified By Researchers
Scientists have identified several potential therapies for the Zika virus from among 6,000 drugs already commercially available or undergoing clinical trials, according to a new study. The research, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, could help quicken discovery of medications for Zika and help prevent the neurological disorders associated with it, including microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads associated with improper brain development. (Hernandez, 8/29)
The Associated Press:
Last Chance? Obama Administration Proposes Health Law Fixes
In one of its last chances to tinker with the president's signature health care law, the Obama administration Monday proposed a series of fixes and adjustments for 2018, when the White House will have a new occupant. The changes are detailed in a highly technical draft regulation, nearly 300 pages long. Insurers and consumer advocates were trying to decipher its implications Monday evening. (8/29)
The Washington Post:
In Latest Policy Rollout, Clinton Puts Forward Agenda To Combat Mental Illness
Hillary Clinton put forward a package of initiatives Monday aimed at improving the plight of tens of millions of Americans coping with mental illness and pledged, if elected president, to hold a White House conference on the issue within her first year in office. The plan, the Democratic nominee said, seeks to fully integrate mental health services into the nation’s health-care system during her tenure as president. Measures include a national suicide prevention initiative, higher payments for providers in the Medicaid program, an emphasis on treatment over jail for low-level criminal offenders with mental health issues and the creation of new housing and job opportunities. (Wagner, 8/29)
Stat:
Parkinson's Disease Study Caught In Feud Involving Fox Foundation
A crucial clinical trial of the most promising new treatment for Parkinson’s disease in decades might be delayed because of a feud between a key scientist and the influential Michael J. Fox Foundation. The prominent foundation — the richest nonprofit seeking to cure the crippling neurological disorder — initially wanted to collaborate on a study with the Georgetown University researcher. His preliminary findings last year had buoyed patients’ hopes for the first Parkinson’s medicine that might reverse some of their debilitating symptoms. The trial was supposed to begin in October, but Fox and the Georgetown team had a bitter falling out, and it’s unclear whether Georgetown will be able to obtain the medicine from its manufacturer so that the study can proceed. (Piller, 8/30)