Senator Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) ties to the congressional scrutiny surrounding the skyrocketing price of EpiPens runs deeper than just politics. His daughter, Heather Bresch, is CEO of Mylan, the company behind the epinephrine injection, reports The Washington Post.
Canonsburg, Pa.-based Mylan has raised the price of Epipens by 400 percent since 2007, resulting in a storm of criticism against the company's pricing practices.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recently wrote a letter to Mylan, asking the company to explain why patients must pay up to $700 — compared to $57 in 2007 — to fill their prescriptions for the life-saving medication.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D.-Conn.) and Senator Mark R. Warner (D.-Va.) joined Senator Grassley in expressing concern over the price hikes, even calling for a federal investigation of the company. Senator Manchin, who is not a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has not commented on the matter.
In a statement responding to Senator Grassley's letter, Mylan did not mention its pricing practices, but said it was proud of its discount programs that expand access to the medication. Mylan also said it has donated almost 700,000 EpiPens to schools since 2013.
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Cost of EpiPens up to $700