How the government helps Mylan sell Epipens http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/how-the-maker-of-the-epipen-made-government-its-ally Mylan lobbied state and federal government heavily: That, in turn, helped Mylan’s push for state “public entity” laws, which allow restaurants, hotels, and other public places to get prescriptions to buy EpiPens and keep them in stock for emergency use. Mylan successfully lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to change the recommended treatment for a severe allergic reaction from one epinephrine dose to two. Today, the EpiPen is only available in a twin-pack. And it lobbied for federal legislation that would provide block grants to states that stocked EpiPens in schools. These changes have, to be sure, increased access to EpiPens for consumers. But they’ve also increased Mylan’s profits—and profit margins—by creating what is, in effect, government-mandated demand. Etc. Since Append have a limited shelf life, they must be repurchased on a regular basis, providing a steady revenue stream.