re: #233 Belafon

The costs for the meds are about $1. The cost for the injector is perhaps $10-20 for a pair. The injector was invented more than 20 years ago, which means it’s outside patent protection as well.

The whole kit can cost under $50 and still garner a significant profit for Mylan, especially since the pen is invaluable and critical to maintaining the health of those who have various allergies. The company has been pushing to have these pens required in schools and other public places in the same way that AEDs are required. I think that’s a good idea, but reality is that the company is gouging everyone, even with this so called generic version that is still $200 more than it was charging just a few years ago even as there’s no change in quality, costs to produce, or distribute. The only thing that’s changed is the company’s profit margins as a result of this product’s pricing being jacked through the roof.

Shareholders benefit. Everyone else feels that great big sucking sound as the injectors have to be replaced periodically since the meds expire. That means you’re talking about a permanent cost.

FYI: the injector was developed by Maryland company called Survival Technology in the 1970s by engineers who included a man named Sheldon Kaplan. The DoD adapted it for administering antidotes for nerve agents.