BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Dey Pharma,
L.P., a subsidiary of Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq:
MYL), today announced that Dey will exclusively offer the
EpiPen 2-Pak® and EpiPen Jr 2-Pak® (epinephrine)
Auto-Injector 0.3/0.15 mg, to encourage physicians and patients to
follow recommendations by the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID). While there is no safety issue
with the EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr single package, Dey will
transition away from distributing and marketing these
configurations in the U.S.
The “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy
in the United States,” which were developed by an expert panel
sponsored by the NIAID, a division of the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), recommend that patients at risk for or who have
experienced anaphylaxis have immediate access to two doses of
epinephrine.(1) More specifically, the guidelines indicate
that if a patient responds poorly to the initial dose or has
ongoing or progressive symptoms despite initial dosing, repeated
dosing may be required after five to 15 minutes.(1) Patients
should seek immediate emergency medical treatment after use of
EpiPen or EpiPen Jr.
Mylan President Heather Bresch commented: “Many people may not
be aware that recent food allergy guidelines state that patients at
risk for or who have experienced anaphylaxis should have immediate
access to two doses of epinephrine. The decision to exclusively
offer the EpiPen 2-Pak, which contains two single EpiPen
Auto-Injectors, aligns with these guidelines, as well as with the
2011 World Allergy Organization (WAO) anaphylaxis guidelines which
recommend that physicians consider prescribing more than one
epinephrine auto-injector.(2) Mylan and Dey are committed to
increasing the overall awareness of being prepared for a
potentially life-threatening allergi
‘/>”/>
SOURCE