Lawmakers Blast Mylan’s Move to Curb EpiPen Costs as PR Fix

Mylan NV’s move to alleviate patients’ cost burden for its $600 EpiPen emergency allergy shots was blasted by members of Congress who called it a public-relations maneuver.

In response to intense criticism over the past few days, Mylan acted Thursday to expand assistance programs that help patients with high out-of-pocket expenses -- but didn’t go as far as cutting the treatment’s list price. Health insurers and U.S. lawmakers, along with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, criticized the effort as an attempt to cover a 400 percent price hike that won’t make the drug more affordable. Mylan has been under fire for increasing the price to about $600 for a two-pack from $57 for a single pen in 2007.