The compact Allerject epinephrine auto-injector will relaunch across the Canada as of May 19, the pharmaceutical maker Kaléo has announced.
Allerject is the same device that Kaléo markets under the brand-name Auvi-Q in the United States. Since Allerject left the Canadian market in 2015, Mylan’s EpiPen was the sole epinephrine auto-injector choice for Canadians with food, drug and stinging insect allergies.
Popular features of the Kaléo auto-injector include its pocket size and voice-guided instructions for administering a device during anaphylaxis.
“With the availability of Allerject, Canadian families now have a different option for an epinephrine auto-injector, providing them with choice that comes from no longer being vulnerable in a single-source market,” Jennifer Gerdts, Food Allergy Canada’s executive director, said in the company’s news release about the relaunch. She called the launch “a significant step for the food allergy community.”
When Mylan’s EpiPens were in intermittent shortage in Canada during 2018 and early 2019, having only one auto-injector choice presented a significant issue for patients with severe allergies.
The relaunched Allerject devices will come in 0.15 milligram dose for children weighing 15 to 30 kilograms (33 lbs to 66 lbs), and a 0.3 mg dose for patients weighing 30 kg or more (66 lbs or more).
Interview with Kaléo
Allergic Living asked Mark Herzog, Kaléo’s vice president of corporate affairs, for some details about Allerject’s May 19, 2020 Canadian relaunch.
With the relaunch, will Allerject be sold again in Canada as single auto-injectors? In the U.S., your firm’s auto-injectors are sold as a two-device set.
Yes, Allerject is supplied in a carton containing one auto-injector and instructions for use pamphlet.
Is a trainer included or available?
Trainers for Allerject are available for patients at no charge. Please talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about obtaining a trainer for Allerject. Trainers can also be requested via the Allerject.ca website.
Will the relaunch rollout be right across Canadian pharmacies, or just in large pharmacy chains?
Allerject will be available through all pharmacies across Canada. Patients should speak with their pharmacist directly regarding how best to obtain Allerject.
In the U.S., there is a direct delivery program for the Auvi-Q. Will Allerject have a direct delivery program?
Allerject will be available through all pharmacies across Canada. There is no direct delivery program for Allerject at this time.
What will the retail price be at relaunch?
The price will vary by province and insurance coverage, so patients should speak with their local pharmacist for details on how best to obtain Allerject. (Herzog says the price for the Allerject will be comparable to the price of EpiPens in Canada.)
See answers to further questions on Allerject’s website.
Related Reading:
Auvi-Q Auto-Injectors On-Board with American, Other Airlines
All About Epinephrine – Allergic Living’s Guide
Canadian study finds epinephrine use lacking for young kids
