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Foster Leads Letter Demanding Answers to Recent Naloxone Price Spike

February 21, 2017

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) sent a letter signed by 71 Members of Congress to Kaléo Pharmaceuticals that requested more information on the recent increase in the price of its naloxone injector device, Evzio. This month, reports circulated that the company raised the price by over 600% from $690 in 2014 for a two pack to $4,500.

"As the opioid and heroin crisis grows, we need to make sure everyone has access to life saving drugs. I have seen firsthand how this epidemic has affected communities in the Eleventh District, so this sudden price spike should be cause for great concern for communities across the country and in Illinois," Foster said. "I think it is only fitting that we understand why this company has priced the drug beyond the reach of individuals who need it."

Naloxone is a FDA approved drug that blocks the effects of an opioid or heroin overdose. More than 30,000 Americans are estimated to die each year from opioid overdoses. In 2015, more than 1,400 individuals died from opioid related deaths in Illinois. An electronic copy of the letter is here.