Symjepi was recently approved by the FDA that will directly compete with other injectable epinephrine medications. Symjepi will be manufactured by Adamis Pharamceuticals Corporation. Symjepi will come as 2 single dose syringes of 0.3 milligrams of epinephrine, a life saving medication for those allergic to bee stings, food allergies, medication allergies or anyone suffering from a life threating allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). For now Symjepi will only come as an adult dose 0.3 mg, they are seeking FDA approval for the child version of 0.15 mg in the near future.
If you recall in the past, there was outrage that EpiPen prices had increased to over $600 for a box of two. They had increased their prices every year and they faced no competition for their medication.
Why is the Epipen Price so High?
This led to a backlash against Mylan Pharmaceuticals and a congressional inquiry. Mylan started producing a generic version of the Epipen at a reduced cost. Since then, Auvi-Q has returned promising free coverage for patients who have insurance. Auvi-Q to return to market
CVS has also come up with their own version of epinephrine injectors, that is priced at $109.99 for a set of two, called Adrenaclick. And now Symjepi will add more competition to the marketplace with its own version. This is all good for consumers as there will be more choices available which would lead to reduced cost for the consumers.
Epipen, Auvi-Q, Adrenaclick and Symjepi all contain the same ingredient epinephrine and they all can be used for anaphylaxis. The efficacy is the same for all of the devices. All of these medications can be self administered and injected in the muscle in the thigh. The device mechanism is different for all of them and patients should learn how to use them with trainers when they fill the prescriptions, so they are ready to use them if the situation arises. Symjepi is not an auto-injector, but a prefilled syringe of epinephrine. Patients will need to pull off the cap, depress the plunger in the thigh until it clicks and the epinephrine will be administered.
If you have any problems filling your prescriptions, speak to your allergist doctor about coupons or rebates that can help alleviate your out of pocket costs. Many patients have been delaying filling their prescriptions, here is some information about when epinephrine expires.