Kaléo Inc. said today that it plans to relaunch its Auvi-Q injector for emergency allergy treatment in the U.S. during the 1st half of 2017, according to Reuters.
The Richmond, Va.-based company’s device was recalled last year after concerns about the accuracy of delivered dose. Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) made and licensed the Auvi-Q device from Kaléo, but returned rights to the product in February following the recall.
Auvi-Q is similar to Mylan‘s (NSDQ:MYL) EpiPen in that it delivers epinephrine to a patient suffering from a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. However, instead of a pen-shaped device, Auvi-Q is the length and width of a credit card and is as thick as a small cellphone. It includes a voice prompt system to help patients use the device and has a needle that retracts automatically after the proper dose has been delivered.
Mylan came under fire this year when reports revealed that it raised its list price for a pair of the injectors to $600 from $100 when it acquired the product in 2007.
Amid the widespread criticism from politicians, Mylan pledged to launch a generic EpiPen by the end of 2016, which will sell at a list price of $300, and to broaden its patient assistance program.
Kaléo declined to comment on a list price for the relaunched Auvi-Q to Reuters. “We are working on what is the right price to assure that the ultimate patient co-pay is low,” CEO Spencer Williamson told the news service.
Kaléo also sells a hand-held device, Evzio, that automatically delivers a pre-set dose of naloxone, the drug approved to treat an opioid overdose. Evzio has a list price of $3,750 for 2 active devices and 1 training device.
