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EpiPen alternative hits the market, expected to save families money

Posted at 4:47 PM, Feb 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-14 16:47:18-05

The company responsible for making the epinephrine injection drug called Auvi-Q is back on the market Tuesday. 

In an email to subscribers, the Virginia based company told patients that Auvi-Q is now available after being recalled in 2015 for reported malfunctions. 

The company wrote that they are launching an Auvi-Q Affordability -- something they call a first of its kind-- access:

  • $0 out of pocket for all commercially insured patients, including high deductible plans
  • Support for patients who can't afford their medicines and don't have insurance
  • Direct delivery service will provide Auvi-Q within 48 hours shipped directly to your home.

The relaunch comes shortly after its competitor, EpiPen went through a price hike from below $100 in 2007 to around $600 for a two-pack. 

There are reports that the pharmaceutical company will provide the drug for free to families who make less than $100,000 annually. 

This is biig news for parents like Sandra Bentil whose nine-year-old son, Isaiah, has severe allergies to peanuts. 

"It's so bad that if he's at school, and someone is eating peanut butter and jelly, he will break out if it's in the air," she said. 

Along with the affordable price, Bentil tells us she prefers Auvi-Q because of the voice activated system that directs a person how to use the drug.