(Bloomberg) —U.S. senators want five drugmakers to account for increases in the price of a drug that's used to reverse the effects of prescription and illegal opioids, as the number of Americans overdosing on painkillers and heroin has skyrocketed in recent years.
Senators Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, and Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, wrote to Pfizer Inc., Mylan NV, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adapt Pharma Inc. and Kaleo Inc., asking them to explain price changes to the drug, naloxone. They cited a report in Politico that at least one version of the drug has risen in price by as much as 17-fold in the last two years. Collins is the chairwoman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and McCaskill is the panel's top Democrat.
"As we work to address a complex public health crisis, it is important that naloxone, a potentially lifesaving tool, be accessible," the senators wrote in a letter dated June 3.
Adapt hasn't raised its price since its version was approved last year, said Thom Duddy, a spokesman. Amphastar said it offers nine states rebates on the drug, and it and Pfizer both said they would cooperate with the inquiry, as did Pfizer. Kaleo and Mylan didn't immediately have a comment on the senators' questions.
The senators also want to know what the companies are doing to preserve access to the drug, which hospitals have said they've had trouble obtaining.
About 20,000 Americans died from overdosing on prescription opioid painkillers in 2014, more than triple the number in 2001, according to the National Institutes of Health. Deaths from heroin, which also is an opioid, rose to 12,000 from 2,000 in the same period.
Naloxone has become increasingly popular as a way to treat overdoses, and can be used at the scene by police, paramedics, and other first responders. The Obama administration said in March it would provide $11 million to states to purchase naloxone and train emergency workers to administer it.
