News

Actions

Utah receives share of settlement with EpiPen manufacturer

Posted at 11:12 AM, Oct 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-29 13:12:40-04

ST. GEORGE — Following an August agreement Utah has received its $1.6 million share of a settlement with Mylan, maker of the EpiPen.

According to our media partner St. George News, Mylan agreed to pay $465 million total to settle allegations it overbilled Medicaid for its emergency allergy injectors for a decade.

In a statement Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes confirmed receipt of the payment on Friday, saying that the proceeds represent recovery for the state and federal government for expenditures to the Utah Medicaid program.

“The pharmaceutical industry produces many vital drugs and products for the benefit of our citizens, but like any other major industry, there need to be safeguards in place and rigorous enforcement of the law to assure that the taxpayers are being treated fairly under the regulations established by Congress,” Reyes said.

The England based manufacturer came under heavy scrutiny after it raised the price per pair of Epipens from $94 in 2007 to $608 last year.

According to St. George News, Mylan was one of four companies that in October 2009 settled charges they didn’t pay appropriate rebates to state Medicaid programs for multiple medicines.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Utah Department of Health worked with the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units team that participated in the settlement negotiations with Mylan on behalf of the states, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

“Mylan captured the attention of congressional and local leaders of their price increases of the drug EpiPen which is still a matter for review, but this settlement resolves a separate matter concerning the classification of the same drug for purposes of paying governments the correct rebate amount,” Utah Assistant Attorney General Robert Steed said.

Read the original story by St. George News here.