EpiPen manufacturer to lower patient costs after backlash

An EpiPen two-pack
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Backlash over the dramatically increased price of allergy drug EpiPen pushed the drug's manufacturer, Mylan, to announce Thursday that it would cut patient costs. The company plans to offer a savings card for patients with higher out-of-pocket costs, which, Reuters reported, will cover "up to $300" for a two-pack of epinephrine dispensers and cut costs for a patient paying list price by about 50 percent. Mylan will also double eligibility for its existing patient assistance program, which benefits those who are uninsured and under-insured.

"We recognize the significant burden on patients from continued, rising insurance premiums and being forced increasingly to pay the full list price for medicines at the pharmacy counter," Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said in a statement. "Patients deserve increased price transparency and affordable care, particularly as the system shifts significant costs to them."

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