News

Actions

AUVI-Q: EpiPen alternative hits the market

Posted at 8:09 AM, Feb 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-15 08:10:01-05

An alternative to the EpiPen just went back on the market, and you might be able to get it for free.

For 9-year old Isiah Bentil, tiny bumps on his face are the first sign he is having a severe reaction to peanuts.

“It’s so bad that if he's at school, and someone is eating peanut butter and jelly, he will break out if it's just in the air. 

 

His mother, Sandra, has been spending hundreds of dollars on the Epipen.

“With the price going up to $600 each, and you carry a twin pack, the cost is astronomical,” said Sandra.

However, she recently learned of big savings with AUVI-Q re-launching an alternative after it was recalled because of reports of it malfunctioning. 

The medicine is about the size of a credit card and is voice-activated to walk a person step-by-step through the process.

“If a total stranger needs to help him, or somebody who’s not familiar with EpiPen or with epinephrine,needs to help, they get directions and its audible,” said Sandra.  

AUVI-Q is hitting the market with a big price hike for insurance companies. The drug company is charging them $4,500 for a two-pack -- nearly seven times the price of EpiPen.

However, if you have insurance you can get it for free, no cost out of pocket.

Another plus is that families that make less than $100,000 a year can get AUVI-Q for free as well.