In a meeting of the House Oversight Committee this week, U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) grilled the CEO of Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Heather Bresch, about the steep price increases her company has imposed on patients and schools relying on the EpiPen, an emergency treatment for allergic reactions involving foods such as peanuts. Since 2007, the list price of a pack of two EpiPens has gone from $100 to over $600. It is just the latest in a series of outrageous price increases by Big Pharma that has led to widespread and increasing public anger and accusations of profiteering and price gouging.
“This is particularly important to states like Illinois that have laws that require schools to stock epinephrine auto injectors,” Rep. Duckworth said to Bresch, pointing out, “This is a program that your own mother was instrumental in getting states to adopt in her capacity as president of the National Association of State Boards of Education.”
That is an interesting tidbit. Heather Bresch’s mother is Gayle Manchin, a long-time educator who has presided over the NASBE since 2010. According to USA Today health care policy reporter Jayne O’Donnell, until recently, the only kind of sponsorship that organization accepted was meals at conferences. After Manchin took over as NASBE president, however, that changed. Suddenly, Mylan was allowed to draft legislation on public school policy across the country…a pharmaceutical company of which her little girl Heather just happened to be Chief Executive Officer.
Coincidence?
In 2012, Mylan Pharmaceuticals became an NASBE donor. In October of that year, Mylan gave a series of presentations at NASBE’s annual conference, which included a panel on school health issues – such as food allergies. That panel featured a prominent allergist, a physician by the name of Ruchi Gupta, M.D. Dr. Gupta has received well over $417,000 from Mylan over the past few years in speaking fees and for research as well as food and travel expenses. Shortly after that conference, Mylan started a program called “EpiPen4Schools.” The company passed out over 700,000 EpiPens, free of charge, to schools across the U.S. After this, participating schools received a discount on EpiPen purchases – but only if they bought such medications exclusively from Mylan.
About the same time, the NASBE announced a new “epinephrine policy initiative.” According to a press release, the purpose of the initiative was to “help state boards of education as they develop student health policies regarding anaphylaxis and epinephrine auto-injector access and use.” The initiative also provided a “discussion guide,” making recommendations on state legislation and advising schools on how to avoid lawsuits.
This all seems very well and good, and appears to show some real concern and compassion for students with health issues in regards to food allergies and the dangers of anaphylaxis. But here’s the problem: the NASBE has recognized food allergies as a serious health concern since 2000. Why did it take the organization 12 years to actively address it?
This week, Mylan CEO Bresch had a golden opportunity to explain it all to lawmakers. As she was grilled by Rep. Duckworth, Ms. Bresch apparently had a difficult time providing straight answers. But decide for yourself: watch the proceeding right here.
One thing is becoming patently obvious: despite its stated concern for student health, Mylan was far more concerned about profits. What is tragic is that a private corporation got a great deal of assistance from a public association, based on family ties.
Shades of old Tammany Hall…