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EpiPen maker Mylan will make its allergy treatment more affordable

EpiPen maker Mylan will make its allergy treatment more affordable

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The change, which does not actually cut the list price, comes after pressure from Hillary Clinton

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EpiPen Prices Soar, Rattling Consumers
Photo Illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The maker of the EpiPen will make its lifesaving allergy treatment more affordable after mounting pressure from the likes of Hillary Clinton, who yesterday called the device’s price hikes "outrageous."

Mylan NV will offer a savings card that covers as much as $300 of the $600 cost of an EpiPen two-pack for those paying full price, the company said in a statement. Previously, the savings card covered $100. Mylan added that it is expanding eligibility for its patient-assistance program, which makes the allergy treatment cheaper for underinsured families.

These changes do not actually lower the $600 list price of the EpiPen, which delivers a hormone called epinephrine that ends a potentially deadly allergy attack. There’s less than $1 worth of the hormone in each EpiPen, which are sold in two-packs due to federal guidelines.

The price of the EpiPen has jumped over 400 percent in the past few years. Mylan chief executive Heather Bresch, who is the daughter of Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, said that the company "recognize[s] the significant burden on patients" from paying full list price.

The move comes a day after Clinton called on Mylan to cut the price immediately. Some senators, including Susan Collins of Maine and Claire McCaskill of Missouri, had made similar statements, as did the American Medical Association.