Mellini Kantayya, an actress who recently appeared in HBO's 'The Night Of,' is leading the firestorm.
The actress behind the massive revolt against the EpiPen price increase has been revealed.
Mellini Kantayya is a concerned mother who lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has appeared in the hit HBO series The Night Of and the CBS series Limitless. Her husband uses EpiPen to combat his allergies.
Last month, she started an online petition: "Stop The EpiPen Price Gouging." It was that simple act that triggered a firestorm.
Her husband uses EpiPen to combat allergies and she was outraged by the huge jump in price from $57 in 2007 to $600 today.
"It just felt nefarious. Kantayya told The New York Times. Why don't I do a petition, and maybe something will be done about this?"
For people with severe allergies, EpiPen is a lifesaving emergency treatment if they suffer from anaphylactic shock, which can prove fatal.
Many are now turning to Canada, where it still sells for much less.
Darby Lee, of Jacksonville, Florida, told Inside Edition: “In the States they want to charge you $600 for one. I went online through a Canadian pharmacy and they charged $225 for two EpiPens."
Others are actually going on eBay, where we found them selling for as low as $75.
Dr. Alexandra Sowa told Inside Edition that purchasing an EpiPen on eBay is a terrible idea.
“You can’t trust it,” she said. “You have no idea where it comes from and you have no idea where it has been. It could have a seal on it but that doesn’t mean anything. I really implore people to not use the internet for this kind of medication.”
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The EpiPen is manufactured by Mylan. The company's CEO, Heather Bresch, is the daughter of West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who has spoken out for the first time over the controversy.
He said in a statement: "I am aware of the questions my colleagues and many parents are asking and frankly I share their concerns about the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs."
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