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from the better-mousetrap-trapped-in-limbo dept.
AlterNet reports
The [EpiPen], which millions of Americans depend on, was invented in the 1970s by engineer Sheldon Kaplan[PDF], who died seven years ago in modest surroundings amid obscurity. But Kaplan's patent made its way into [the] Netherlands-based drug maker Mylan, which, since 2007, has jacked up the price of the spring-loaded injector from $57 a shot to $300.
[...] The high price [...] caught the attention of Dr. Douglas McMahon. The 38-year-old allergy specialist in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been thinking about how to improve on the EpiPen and to do so in a way that's affordable.
[...] McMahon saw that the EpiPen device was not only overpriced for what it does but also was too big to be easily carried in a pocket. For the past couple of years, he has been tinkering with injection-device components in his lab. And the result of his work is AllergyStop [1], an injection prototype that's small enough to fit on a key chain. McMahon claimed his device is as effective as the EpiPen and can be marketed and sold for about $50.
But, even though McMahon's device has been production-ready for the past two months, the steps he must take to get the device approved will cost him about $2 million and it will potentially take him years to go through all the hurdles required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for possible approval of his invention.
[1] All content is behind scripts. archive.li will run those for you.
Previously:
EpiPen's Price Increased 400% since 2008
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Thexalon on Monday September 12 2016, @01:47PM
The system I remember from a backcountry first aid kit I was trained to use over a decade ago was also pretty simple: It came in a pre-filled syringe, and the plunger required you to give it a quarter-turn before pushing 0.1cc out. So it basically was "put needle in, turn plunger, push until it stops, pull out needle". If you need to do it again, it's the exact same series of steps, and you have about 5 doses in it, which would be enough to get somebody transported before you ran out even if you were a ways away from a road.
Those kinds of things apparently go for about $10.
Those pens sure are convenient though: 2 weeks ago I watched someone save a life with that one (patient had severe bee sting allergies and took a sting right under her chin).
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.