The Return of Auvi-Q!
About 7 years ago when I was just starting out in the business, I exhibited at an allergist convention at the insistence of our allergist, who had just seen the first samples of AllerMates accessories for kids.
I dragged my husband, my sister, and my best friend to help me set up and work my rinky dinky little booth (well, it looked that way compared to the majestic pharmaceutical booths, you know the kind that offer cappuccinos as well). One of the many, many visitors who stopped by our booth was a couple of friendly, entrepreneur brothers, Eric and Evan Edwards. We began swapping our personal allergy stories, and instantly bonded over our desire to produce alternate options for our children with allergies. I was trying to change the world with kid-friendly products and informational resources for families. They were working on a brilliant, voice-guided auto-injector later given the name Auvi-Q.
I was thrilled the Edwards brothers’ dream came true when their device was picked up by Sanofi and their product was able to make its way into the hands of allergy sufferers.
Fast forward to 2015, where I was disappointed to see such an amazing device get pulled from the market after reports surfaced that claimed it was not delivering the proper amount of epinephrine. I was definitely not the only parent who was disappointed by the news. Many parents preferred the slim, modern design and voice-guided instructions on how to administer the life-saving medication, so they were saddened to see such an incredible product disappear.
But, these parents now have a reason to celebrate! On tuesday, I was thrilled to get a call from Eric Edwards letting me know that they were indeed bringing the Auvi-Q back on the market beginning in 2017!
Should parents worry about using Auvi-Q after the issues some people had with the product? At AllerMates, we don’t believe there’s a cause for concern. The original makers of Auvi-Q have reclaimed the rights to the product, and have been diligently working to make it safer and more effective for consumers across the world. We were happy to hear they have invested in new technology and quality systems to ensure the products are working properly before they enter the market next year.
The timing could not be more perfect for Auvi-Q given the backlash that their competitor, EpiPen, is facing over pricing. In the statement released this morning, the makers of Auvi-Q acknowledged the frustration that consumers feel towards the pricing of this medication—and vowed to ensure it is affordable for all. Of course, time will only tell whether they deliver on this promise so everyone who is in need of Auvi-Q has access to it, but it’s definitely a start in the right direction!
What do you think? Will you use Auvi-Q once its back in the market? Will its reintroduction force EpiPen to lower its prices in order to stay competitive?
Share your thoughts with us!
Xo
Iris Shamus
Iris Shamus is a mother to three awesome kids & the founder/CEO of AllerMates. AllerMates was born as a result of her food allergic and asthmatic son, Ben. Iris and/or AllerMates have been featured in many places including Fox News, the Doctors, Veria Living, MSNBC, The Today Show & the Huffington Post with helpful advice on keeping kids safe. Based in New York, Iris & her team design & ship their products, create informative content & obsess every day about safeguarding kids.