Actress Sarah Jessica Parker -- Sex and the City, Hocus Pocus -- announced Thursday that she is ending her business relationship with Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the giant drug company that makes the best-selling EpiPen rescue device.
Gizmodo reported that Parker became the celebrity spokeswoman for the company's #AnaphylaxisForReel campaign in May, which -- according to its website -- was designed to "inspire greater understanding about the risks of anaphylaxis through films featuring real-life, everyday stories about the realities of managing potentially life-threatening (severe) allergies."
On Thursday, however, Parker took to Instagram to announce that steep hikes in EpiPen pricing have soured her on the company.
"I’m left disappointed, saddened and deeply concerned by Mylan’s actions. I do not condone this decision and I have ended my relationship with Mylan as a direct result of it," she wrote.
Parker was an enthusiastic advocate for #AnaphylaxisForReel, saying that EpiPen -- which delivers a fast-acting dose of epinephrine to counteract cases of anaphylactic shock -- has given her a sense of security in dealing with her son's severe peanut allergy. She made the rounds of many popular talk shows to promote the campaign.
Now, however, she says, "I hope they will seriously consider the outpouring of voices of those millions of people who are dependent on the device, and take swift action to lower the cost to be more affordable for whom it is a life-saving necessity."
Mylan has raised the price of the EpiPen 450 percent since the company acquired rights to produce it in 2007. CEO Heather Bresch -- daughter of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) -- has come under fire for the price increase and her decision to award herself a 617 percent pay raise.
Her company's stock value has plunged in recent days as investors have panicked and rushed to distance themselves the controversy.
Here is Parker's full statement:
I was recently involved in an initiative to raise awareness for anaphylaxsis. It’s a cause deeply important to me because of my son’s life threatening peanut allergy. The epinephrine auto-injector is a vital part of our family healthcare, as it is for the many who are at risk. I recently learned that the price of the Epi-Pen as been systematically raised by Mylan to a point that renders the medication cost-prohibitive for countless people. I’m left disappointed, saddened and deeply concerned by Mylan’s actions. I do not condone this decision and I have ended my relationship with Mylan as a direct result of it. I hope they will seriously consider the outpouring of voices of those millions of people who are dependent on the device, and take swift action to lower the cost to be more affordable for whom it is a life-saving necessity. - SJP
