Klobuchar, others call for FTC to investigate increases in EpiPen prices

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate whether a drug company violated antitrust laws by steeply increasing the price of a product that treats people suffering from severe allergic reactions.

After hearing from constituents, Klobuchar, whose daughter has nut allergies, questioned Mylan pharmaceutical’s decision to push the price of a dual pack of EpiPens from $100 in 2008 to $500-$600 in 2016.

“There does not appear to be any justification for the continual price increases of EpiPen,” Klobuchar, a Democrat, wrote to FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “Manufacturing costs for the product have been stable and Mylan does not need to recover the product’s research and development costs because the product was on the market years before Mylan acquired it in 2007.”

http://www.startribune.com/growing-call-for-ftc-to-investigate-epipen-maker-mylan-over-price-rises/391085601/