Congress set to grill Mylan CEO over skyrocketing cost of EpiPens

Congress will ask the CEO of Mylan Pharmaceuticals next week to justify the company’s decision to jack up the price of its life-saving EpiPens, saying American families deserve answers.

Heather Bresch, the daughter of Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, will appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday to explain why the company increased the cost of its epinephrine auto-injector, which helps people with severe allergies stave off anaphylactic shock, from about $100 in 2009 to more than $600 today.

“There is justified outrage from families and schools across the country struggling to afford the high cost of EpiPens. We look forward to receiving answers next week from Mylan about its dramatic price hike for this life-saving medication,” Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, Utah Republican, and ranking member Elijah Cummings, Maryland Democrat, said in a joint statement.

Congress’ interest in the skyrocketing cost of certain drugs has intensified over the past two or three years, as companies acquired decades-old drugs and jacked up the prices exponentially.

Lawmakers from both parties focused on Mylan on the cusp of the new school year, as parents stocked up on EpiPens. Also, many schools stock epinephrine auto-injectors.

Under pressure, Mylan said it would offer direct assistance to people with high out-of-pocket costs, while expanding its program for the uninsured and under-insured, so many more families will not have to pay anything for the EpiPens.

Yet lawmakers who called for an investigation into the company’s pricing said the moves amounted to a partial remedy, or “baby step,” in addressing a more than 500-percent price hike over the past half decade.

Martin Shkreli, pejoratively dubbed the “Pharma bro” for his fraternity-style approach to his social life, enraged House investigators this year by refusing to say why he jacked up the price of a decades-old drug more than fifty-fold. He repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right to silence in a February hearing, then mocked lawmakers later.

Lawmakers expect a more forthcoming visit from Ms. Bresch and Doug Throckmorton, deputy director at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, who will testify on the agency’s efforts to approve a generic version of the auto-injector.

“Our goal is to work together to ensure that critical medications, like the EpiPen, are accessible and affordable for all of our constituents,” Mr. Chaffetz and Mr. Cummings said.