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DEERFIELD, Ill. and RICHMOND, Va. — Walgreens and kaléo, a privately-held pharmaceutical company, are working together to improve access to epinephrine auto-injectors by making kaléo’s AUVI-Q 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg available through Walgreens locations nationwide. This comes in an effort to help thousands of Americans with their epinephrine needs during the back to school season, as supply issues have been reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by other manufacturers.
AUVI-Q is a prescription medicine approved by the FDA to treat emergency allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic reactions. AUVI-Q does not take the place of emergency medical care. Patients need to seek immediate medical treatment after using AUVI-Q.
Through the AUVI-Q AffordAbility program provided by kaléo, eligible patients with commercial insurance, even those with high-deductible plans, can obtain AUVI-Q at no cost. For eligible patients who do not have insurance or prescription drug coverage, kaléo may be able to support through its patient assistance program. Please see additional information on patient eligibility and the terms and conditions at www.auvi-q.com/getting-auvi-q/
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that happens quickly and may cause death. Anaphylaxis can occur as a result of exposure to allergens including tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, insect bites, latex and medication, among other allergens. Reports estimate that up to 15 million Americans are living with food allergies.
“The health and wellbeing of our customers is of the upmost importance,” said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of operations. “Walgreens pharmacists continue to care for and work with patients and their prescribers to ensure they have access to the epinephrine auto-injectors they need, and we’re pleased to work with kaléo to help meet the demand for epinephrine auto-injectors across the country.”
AUVI-Q’s innovative features include voice instructions that help guide a user step-by-step through the epinephrine delivery process, as well as an auto-retractable needle system, a first for epinephrine auto-injectors, that injects the epinephrine and retracts the needle back into the device within seconds.
“Thanks to this collaboration with Walgreens, any patient who is having difficulty filling a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector now has the opportunity to get AUVI-Q through Walgreens,” said Phil Rackliffe, general manager of Allergy and Pediatrics at kaléo. “We are working with insurance providers to maximize coverage of AUVI-Q for as many patients as possible.”
For patients who are unable to fill their current epinephrine prescriptions, Walgreens pharmacists will work with each patient’s healthcare practitioner to see if AUVI-Q is right for them. Current AUVI-Q patients should continue to utilize kaléo’s Direct Delivery service at https://www.auvi-q.com/getting-auvi-q/ to ensure delivery to their home. AUVI-Q 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg are available through Walgreens for patients with commercial insurance. Medicare patients should check with their individual health plan to verify their specific benefits, as AUVI-Q coverage varies by Medicare plan.
