EpiPen shortage reported nationwide
There is a national shortage of the EpiPen emergency allergy shot, but it may not last long.
More than 400 people in 45 states reported having difficulty getting epinephrine injectors because of manufacturing issues, according to a May 9 report by Bloomberg News.
Mylan, the Southpointe-based generic drug company, markets and distributes the lifesaving auto-injectors, which are produced for the firm by Meridian Medical Technologies, a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc.
On its website Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration included EpiPen, EpiPen Jr. and its generic forms on its list of medications that were in shortage.
The FDA, however, “anticipates the issue to be short term,” spokeswoman Lauren Smith Dyer said in an email to the Observer-Reporter.
Mylan acknowledged in a prepared statement that “there are intermittent supply constraints. However, product is available and Mylan is currently receiving continual supply from … Meridian.”
Pfizer spokesman Steve Danehy said in an email: “We are currently shipping product and our shipments have been increasing over the last few months, with April shipments exceeding projections.”
FDA’s Dyer said in the email: “Multiple factors have resulted in limited availability of EpiPen in certain areas in the U.S., including both pharmacy-level supply disruptions and a manufacturer issue. The FDA has been working closely with Mylan to understand the status of EpiPen production supply and has been in contact with the other manufacturers of epinephrine auto-injectors, as well, regarding their supply status.”
Mylan posted a phone number – 1-800-796-9526 – to help pharmacies and patients locate EpiPens.
The company reported first-quarter results that showed a 31 percent jump in profits from the same period of 2017, from $66.4 million to $87.1 million. Revenue for the quarter ($2.68 billion) dipped 1 percent from $2.72 billion a year earlier, which, according to a report on the company website, was partly because of “lower sales of branded products,” including EpiPen.