Mylan releases cheaper generic EpiPen

Mylan’s generic version of the life-saving EpiPen will hit pharmacies next week, according to an announcement by the drug manufacturer today. The generic anti-allergy device will cost $300 for a two-pack, half the price of the branded option. The announcement comes after criticism this summer over the EpiPen’s sharp price increase—a jump from about $100 in 2009 to $600 in 2016. In September, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch testified before a congressional committee that the price increase is due to middlemen like insurers between the drugmaker and the customer. The company will continue to sell the branded EpiPen but announced that the authorized generic “has the same drug formulation and device functionality” and “is administered in the same way.”