Epinephrine injectors are life saving devices for people with food allergies and one company - Mylan Inc. - produces almost all of them. In this episode, listen to the highlights from a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee grilling of Mylan CEO Heather Bresch, and judge her justification for raising the EpiPen's price over 600% since EpiPen's competition was eliminated.

Executive Producer: Anonymous

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Sound Clip Sources Hearing: EpiPen Price Increases (Watch on C-SPAN) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, September 21, 2016. Witnesses

  • Heather Bresch, CEO of Mylan Inc.
  • Doug Throckmorton, M.D., Deputy Center Director for Regulatory Programs

Clip Timestamps (In order of appearance in episode)

  • 51:16 - Doug Throckmorton: Available epinephrine injectors
  • 49:55 - Rep. John Mica (FL) and Doug Throckmorton: FDA won't discuss generic applications
  • 0:35 - Chairman Jason Chaffetz (UT) - Introduction
  • 9:25 - Elijah Cummings (MD): Mylan's actions that Congress is investigating
  • 12:20 - Elijah Cummings: List of EpiPen price increases
  • 4:10 - Jason Chaffetz: Executive compensation
  • 16:55 - Elijah Cummings: Martin Shkreli called Congress "imbeciles"
  • 24:10 - Heather Bresch: Introduction
  • 28:16 - Heather Bresch: Mylan's profits from each EpiPen
  • 47:43 - Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD) & Heather Bresch: Mylan did not give Congress requested documents
  • 55:10 - Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton & Heather Bresch: Will Mylan reduce the price of EpiPens?
  • 1:23:26 - Rep. Scott DesJarlais (TN) & Heather Bresch: How long were the price increases going to continue?
  • 1:32:10 - Rep. Gerald Connolly (VA) & Heather Bresch: Mylan's EpiPen is 94% of the epinephrine injector market.
  • 1:56:55 - Rep. Stacey Plaskett (VI) & Heather Bresch: Why are customers paying so much for EpiPens?
  • 2:01:04 - Rep. Mark Meadows (NC) & Heather Bresch: Everyone pays a different price in this system
  • 2:51:15 - Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ) & Heather Bresch: Mylan moved their headquarters to the Netherlands to pay less in U.S. taxes.
  • 2:37:15 - Rep. Peter Welch & Heather Bresch: EpiPens cost much less in the Netherlands
  • 1:03:15 - Rep. John Duncan (TN): Drug companies have manipulated the market.
  • 1:44:25 - Tammy Duckworth (IL) & Heather Bresch: Mylan prohibited schools from buying from competitors
  • 36:45 - Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT) & Heather Bresch: Heather Bresch's explanation for why her mother used her position to get schools to buy EpiPens from Mylan
  • 1:11:40 - Rep. Tim Walberg (MI) & Heather Bresch: Mylans plan would shift costs of EpiPens to government
  • 1:21:16 - Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA) & Heather Bresch: Veterans Administration is able to negotiate it's drug prices, which makes them lower
  • 53:35 - Rep. John Mica (FL) & Heather Bresch: Executive compensation at Mylan
  • 59:19 - Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) & Heather Bresch: What does Heather Bresch do to earn $18 million per year?
  • 2:48:55 - Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ) & Heather Bresch: Heather Bresch often uses a company private jet
  • 2:13:50 - Rep. Mick Mulvaney (SC) & Heather Bresch: Mylan is getting what it deserves
  • 3:08:08 - Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI) & Heather Bresch: Does Heather Bresch feel guilty?
  • 3:39:40 - Rep. Jason Chaffetz & Heather Bresch: The numbers don't add up.
  • 3:43:30 - Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD) Closing statement

Additional Reading * Article: Family matters: EpiPens had high-level help getting into schools by Jayne O'Donnell, USA Today, September 21, 2016. * Article: Have You Ever Tried to Buy an EpiPen? by Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, August 24, 2016. * Article: Everyone Hates Martin Shkreli. Everyone is Missing the Point by Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, February 5, 2016.

Additional Information * Law: H.R. 2094 (113th Congress): School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act * OpenSecrets: Senator Joe Manchin's campaign contributors

Music Presented in This Episode * Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

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