Can’t afford the EpiPen? Now there’s a lower-cost alternative

The EpiPen drew consumer outcry after its price jumped by 400 percent in eight years. Allergy sufferers complained they could no longer afford the epinephrine auto-injector used to counter life-threatening reactions.

In fact, the EpiPen became the epicenter for the issue of rising prescription drug costs. Now it has a lower-cost competitor. CVS Pharmacies is selling a two-pack of epinephrine injectors for $109.99.

That may still sound like a lot. But the generic alternative, manufactured by Impax Laboratories, is priced lower than the $649.99 cash price for the EpiPen or $339.99 for the authorized EpiPen generic.

CVS says more than 150,000 people signed a petition in the past year calling for relief.

“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,”  Helena Foulkes, President of CVS Pharmacy, said in a news release.

Drug-maker Impax also offers coupons for patients who qualify. How have you or your family been affected by rising pharmaceutical drug costs? Share your story.