[PRESS RELEASE]

CVS Health Offers Patients Lowest Cash Price in the Market for Generic Epinephrine Auto-injector to Treat Allergic Reactions

Generic epinephrine auto-injector from Impax Laboratories available at CVS Pharmacy at cash price 80% lower than EpiPen®

WOONSOCKET, R.I, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced that a low-cost epinephrine auto-injector option, the authorized generic for Adrenaclick® manufactured by Impax Laboratories (IPXL), is available at all CVS Pharmacy locations at a cash price of $109.99 for a two-pack. This compares to a cash price of $649.99 for EpiPen® and $339.99 for the authorized generic for EpiPen.

"As a health care company focused on helping people on their path to better health, we recognized that there was an urgent need in the marketplace for a less expensive epinephrine auto-injector for patients with life-threatening allergies," said Helena Foulkes, President of CVS Pharmacy. Over the past year, nearly 150,000 people signed on to a petition asking for a lower cost epinephrine auto-injector option and millions more were active in social media searching for a solution.

"In order to address this challenge," Foulkes continued, "we have partnered with Impax to purchase their epinephrine auto-injector at a price that is lower than similar brand or authorized generic epinephrine auto-injectors.  We are passing these savings along to our customers and patients, making this product available at all CVS Pharmacy locations at the lowest cash price in the market."

The price of $109.99 for the authorized generic of Adrenaclick two-pack applies to both insured and cash-paying patients without insurance.  This solution will be particularly beneficial for those insured patients who have consumer-directed health plans and have not yet met their deductible for the plan year. Additional cost reductions for the generic Adrenaclick are available for qualifying patients who use the coupon program offered through Impax which provides a benefit of $100 per pack.

"We are thrilled to work with CVS Health to increase access to our low-cost generic Adrenaclick epinephrine auto-injector," said Douglas Boothe, President, Generics Division, Impax Laboratories. "Families need and deserve an affordable option to treat severe allergies."

"We're encouraged to see national efforts to make epinephrine auto-injectors more affordable and more available to Americans across the country," said Cary Sennett, MD, PhD, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. "Partnerships that increase access to vital medications are key in helping those suffering from life-threatening allergies."

"Anaphylaxis is a rapid onset, life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. For these patients, having access to emergency epinephrine is a necessity.  Making an affordable epinephrine auto-injector device accessible to patients will ensure patients have the medicine they need, when they need it," said Todd M Listwa, MD, FACEP, Novant Health.

The authorized generic of Adrenaclick is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved device with the same active ingredient as other epinephrine auto-injector devices. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) includes generic Adrenaclick among therapeutic options in an anaphylaxis emergency action plan.[1]

About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,600 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 80 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

EpiPen® is the registered trademark of Mylan Inc. Adrenaclick® is the registered trademark of Lineage Therapeutics, Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Impax Laboratories, Inc.

Media Contacts:  
Erin Britt
(401) 770-9237
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com

Carolyn Castel 
(401) 770-5717 
Carolyn.Castel@CVSHealth.com

[1] https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/me...ency-Action-Plan.pdf

SOURCE CVS Health