Health Officials Announce New Generic EpiPen

U S Approves New Generic Competitor to EpiPen

A launch within months is planned but no word on the price

Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images U.S. health officials this week approved a new generic version of EpiPen, the emergency allergy medication that triggered a public backlash due to its rising price tag. The version from Teva Pharmaceuticals is the first that will be interchangeable with the original penlike injector sold by Mylan. The Food and Drug Administration announced the approval in a statement. EpiPen injections are stocked by schools and parents nationwide to treat children with severe allergies, and many Medicare patients rely on them. They are used in emergencies to stop potentially fatal allergic reactions to insect bites and stings and to foods such as nuts and eggs. Generic drugs can be priced as much as 80 percent lower than the original product. But those price cuts usually appear after several companies have launched competing versions. EpiPen maker Mylan has dominated the $1 billion market for the shots for two decades. Several other companies sell competing shots containing the drug epinephrine, but they aren't heavily marketed or prescribed by doctors. In 2016, Congress blasted Mylan in letters and hearings for raising the EpiPen price for a two-pack to $600, a five-fold increase over nearly a decade. The company responded by launching its own for $300. Mylan continues to sell both versions at those prices, according to data from Elsevier's Gold Standard Drug Database. Teva's generic shot will be the first version that pharmacists can substitute even when doctors prescribe the original EpiPen. A Teva spokeswoman declined to comment on the drug's price but said it would launch “in the coming months."

Also of Interest

Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.