Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by caminante 3583 days ago
Parent comment's being sloppy. Parent meant to say that there are generic EpiPen alternatives (epinephrine + delivery system) but there isn't a generic EpiPen (name brand delivery system). Mylan claims that EpiPen (injector) has superior features and is easier to use.

Here's the relevant quote from the article you linked:

  "The patents that currently prevent a generic form of EpiPen 
  are on the injector device itself, not the medicine inside. 
  So, while you can’t get a generic EpiPen, there are 
  alternatives that use epinephrine."
1 comments

Yeah, Sigma and many other companies sell grams of epinephrine for ~$50. The expensive part is getting it in your body.

Actually, the EpiPen only injects 0.3 mg. Or around 0.4 cents worth of epinephrine if you could intake what Sigma is selling.

EDIT: I think I was off by a decimal place... Anyway, the epinephrine is more or less free. Just paying for the device.