14 September 2016 - The FDA doesn’t regulate drug prices – prices are set by the drug makers or distributors.

It’s our job to ensure medications, including emergency medications, are safe and effective. We also recognize when we approve new drugs, including generic versions of a drug, it may improve competition in the marketplace. The good news is that the FDA has already approved four epinephrine auto-injectors to treat anaphylaxis in an emergency, and two are currently marketed. The EpiPen does not have any FDA-rated therapeutic equivalents. But like EpiPen, these alternative products are approved by the FDA as safe and effective for treating anaphylaxis. As always, patients should check with their doctor on whether a particular treatment is appropriate and available.

We stand ready to quickly review additional applications that come to us from manufacturers, especially applications for generic versions. To speed along the process, our Office of Generic Drugs prioritizes and expedites our review of applications for first generics, making sure that the first applicants to make a generic are moved to the head of the queue and given priority review.

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