The price of a device used to administer an emergency drug for reversing opioid overdose has skyrocketed over the past few years.
From $690 To $4,500
Evzio, which contains the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone, is an auto-injector that can be used in emergencies even by individuals without medical training. Naloxone works by blocking the drug from interacting with the receptors of the brain.
The device, however, has seen a significant surge in price in recent years. In 2014, the price of a twin-pack was only $690 but this has since increased to $4,500. U.S. senators now question the device's current price tag.
Senators Question Pricing Strategy Of Evzio Maker
In a letter dated Feb. 8, 31 democratic senators asked privately held Kaleo Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Evzio, to explain its pricing strategy, which could justify the more than 550 percent surge in the price of the life-saving device.
The senators want to know the details on how Kaleo priced Evzio and the cost to produce the devices. They also want to know the number of devices that the company has set aside for donation and how it gauges whether or not first responders, states, and public entities get adequate access to the device.
The legislators are likewise interested to know the total amount of federal reimbursements that the company received over the past year as well as the percentage of customers who used federal funds to purchase Evzio during this same period.
Naloxone To Help In Battle Against Opioid Abuse Epidemic
Concerns over the price of Evzio come at a time when drug companies face scrutiny over "price-gouging" and amid the country's fight against an epidemic of opioid abuse, which has already claimed many lives including that of pop singer Prince. Figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that at least 91 Americans succumb daily to drug overdose, which is largely blamed on unrestricted prescriptions for painkillers.
"Naloxone products are an important part of any community's response to our nation's opioid crisis, and demand for naloxone products has increased significantly in recent years," the senators wrote in a letter to Kaleo Chief Executive Spencer Williamson. "Unfortunately, reports indicate Kaleo has responded to the increased need for naloxone devices by ratcheting up the price for Evzio."
Kaleo Pharmaceuticals' Response
Williamson said that they have already received the letter from the senators and are already communicating with the lawmakers to ensure all of the questions in the letter will be addressed.
He said that Americans with commercial insurance and prescription could avail of Evzio for no out-of-pocket cost, or for $360 for cash payments.
As for those without insurance and whose household income is less than $100,000, Williamson said they could also get the device for no out-of-pocket cost.
"No naloxone product, branded or even generic, is less expensive for commercially insured patients, or patients without insurance and incomes below $100,000 a year, than Evzio," Williamson said.
Williamson also said that Kaleo had donated nearly 200,000 doses of Evzio, which have saved 2,800 lives.
