CVS to sell rival, generic version of EpiPen for $109

CVS is now selling a rival, generic version of Mylan’s EpiPen at about a sixth of its price, just months after the maker of the life-saving allergy treatment was eviscerated before Congress because of its soaring cost to consumers.

The drugstore chain says it will charge $109.99 for a two-pack of the authorized generic version of Adrenaclick, a lesser-known treatment compared to EpiPen, which can cost more than $600. CVS Health Corp., the nation’s second-largest drugstore chain, says it cut the price it charges for the generic version of Adrenaclick nearly in half. The lower price is now available at all CVS stores.

The chain runs about 9,600 retail pharmacies in the United States, including several locations inside Target stores. The treatments are stocked by schools and parents of children with severe allergies.

They are used in emergencies to stop anaphylaxis, the potentially fatal allergic reactions to insect bites and stings and foods like nuts and eggs. The syringes are filled with the hormone epinephrine, and they expire after a year.

Mylan NV started taking heat late last summer for its EpiPen pricing, which has climbed more than 500 percent since 2007.

A Congressional panel grilled CEO Heather Bresch in September about the soaring cost, which she has blamed in part on insurers, pharmacy benefits managers and other middlemen that stand between the drugmaker and the customer.