Auvi-Q Now Available in U.S.

THIS POST IS NOW OUTDATED. 

The Auvi-Q has returned in ownership to its original inventors and their company, kaléo. An updated post will be published. Visual images should remain relevant, but coverage and other details may not longer apply.

The Auvi-Q™ is now available in the U.S.!

Click here for the Sanofi US press release.

(Disclaimer: Sanofi US flew me and several other people to New Jersey to view the new Auvi-Q and provide our thoughts.  We are under no obligation to speak at all, let alone favorably about the Auvi-Q.  I have been excited about this product from the moment I heard about it and would have raved about it, summit or no summit!)

Here's a picture from my previous post, showing
the Auvi-Q trainer on top of my HTC EVO.

Keep in mind that this small box contains TWO active devices
AND a trainer device and the trainer device pamphlet,
plus the prescribing information and patient information sheets!

This day came much faster than I anticipated! Here is some more information:

• Today, January 28, 2013, is the launch date for the Auvi-Q™ epinephrine auto-injector, here in the U.S.  
• It is the same device as the Allerject, which was launched in Canada.  
• You need a prescription for this device, just as you would for any other epinephrine auto-injector (EAI).  The Auvi-Q™ is a brand name and the prescription must be for the Auvi-Q™, specifically.   
• New savings available! $0 out-of-pocket savings card available, with up to a $100 off your co-pay, with insurance, or $100 off the cash price, without insurance!  See this post for further information.  It's good for up to three (3) two-packs per prescription and can be reused unlimited times until 12/31/2013.
• There are savings options available for your first 2 prescriptions:  You can either pay a $25 co-pay (up to a maximum savings of $60 on your insurance co-pay) or save $60 off the cash price, if you do not have insurance.  Go to www.auvi-q.com/signup to sign up for these savings.  You can also sign up for refill reminders for your Auvi-Q and/or other EAIs.
• Each pack comes with 2 live devices and 1 training device, which contains no drug.  (My set, pictured in this post, is the 0.15 mg dosage, for patients weighing 33-66 lb.  The 66 lb.+ device is orange.  The trainer is distinctively gray.  
• The Auvi-Q™ is said to be priced at the same price-point as the EpiPen®.  However, don't forget about the $60 savings on your first 2 prescriptions! 
• Edited to add: Depending on your physician, you shouldn't need a doctor's appointment to get a prescription, if you are refilling your epinephrine auto-injector.  I just called my allergist's office's "medication refill" line and told them about my EAIs that expired, and explained how I wanted to refill my epinephrine auto-injector specifically with the Auvi-Q™ and they called it in for me, without having to go in for an appointment.  
• Edited to add: (I just keep thinking of things, sorry!)  There's also Sanofi Patient Connection, which can provide assistance to those who qualify.  (See this PDF for eligibility criteria.)
• Auvi-Q iPhone and Android Apps - Check out this great post from Mom vs. Food Allergy, about the Auvi-Q app...It's pretty awesome!
• Insurance tip:  Some insurance plans allow for multiple 2-packs to be "purchased" under a single co-pay.  If your physician's office calls in more than one set at once (for example, a 2-pack for home and a  2-pack for school) you may only have to pay a single co-pay for the "order".  Individual insurance plans may vary, of course.  
• Apparently the medication is dispensed as "AUVI-Q 0.15 (or 0.3) mg INJ, 2VIAL", so make sure that your physician asks for "2 vials" for each set.  If you need two sets, make sure they ask for 4 vials, total.

My local Walgreens had the Auvi-Q™ in stock, so here are some pictures.  I had a set that expired and needed replacing and I was anxiously awaiting the Auvi-Q's release!

Oh, and the expiration date on the set I got is 04/2014, so it's good for 14 months!

Open box...

Contents of the box...

I removed the outer case to show
the visual instructions on the device...

Two devices stacked on top of each other...
I can STILL touch my middle finger to my thumb,
when holding them both in one hand!
(Remember, I have small hands, too...) ;)

Here's my HTC EVO laying down to show the length of the box...

If anyone has any questions that I have not answered here, or in one of my posts, below, please feel free to ask.  I think it's pretty obvious how excited I am about this device!  More people carrying their epinephrine = more lives saved! 

Links to my other posts about the Auvi-Q™:
Auvi-Q - New Epinephrine Auto-Injector Coming Soon
Auvi-Q - The Audio Visual Lifesaver
Auvi-Q Social Media Summit

Auvi-Q Social Media Summit

I wanted to get right down to business and cover the Auvi-Q™, itself, with my previous post, but now I'd like to take a moment and cover more about the rest of the summit. :)

An equally exciting part of getting to attend the Auvi-Q™ Social Media Summit was having the opportunity to meet these awesome food allergy advocates, writers and bloggers, in person!

Invited Guests
From left to right:
Joanne, Keeley, Caroline, Susan, Colette, Selena, Jenny, and Henry

• Joanne LaSpina - Food Allergy Assistant
• Keeley McGuire - Keeley McGuire Blog - Allergy Friendly Fun Lunch Boxes
• Caroline Moassessi - Grateful Foodie
• Susan Weissman - Author of Feeding Eden
• Colette Martin - Author of Learning to Bake Allergen-Free
• Jenny Sprague - Multiple Food Allergy Help
• Henry Ehrlich - Asthma | Allergies | Children: a parent's guide

Sanofi US Team with Invited Guests
From left to right:
Beth, Lindsey, Joanne, Keeley, Caroline, Susan, Colette, Selena, Jenny, Bryan, Henry,  Lisa and Lorine

I was very impressed with the warmth and friendliness of everyone involved.  Though not pictured above, I dealt quite a bit with Kristen from Marina Maher Communications.  She made the hotel and travel arrangements for the trip and was very helpful throughout the process.  I really appreciate pleasant, positive people and everyone I interacted with, both via Marina Maher and Sanofi US, were so vibrant, energetic and enthusiastic.

One of the first things I noticed about the food were the little ingredients cards, in front of the baked goods provided from Sensitive Sweets.  Ah, if only the whole world's foods were presented that way. :)

Earlier in the summit, there was a brief, yet information-packed, presentation by Dr. John Oppenheimer, who is the Director of Clinical Research at Pulmonary and Allergy Associates, as as a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the New Jersey Medical School.  He had me reaching back to my high school biology class files in my brain (which did not come back to me until later), discussing hymenoptera anaphylaxis, which was suspected to have killed Menes, the first king of Egypt.

I found myself nodding repeatedly, as he presented statistics on the under-utilization of epinephrine in ER situations, of which I think many of us are painfully aware.  Even though I now know that using epinephrine early is very important, I didn't realize that it can actually help prevent biphasic reactions.  He said he often counsels care providers to "use early and use often", which I think is excellent advice.

Dr. Oppenheimer also covered the "Hygiene Hypothesis" in a way that finally made it "click" for me.  I had always been a bit irritated with the theory, thinking to myself that I had plenty of "dust and dirt" around the house, and it didn't do my daughter any good. ;)  I know it's not as simplistic as that, but basically he explained the tale of two populations, one that was given the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and one that was not.  The group that was vaccinated against MMR had a lower incidence of the 3 infectious diseases, but higher rates of food allergies.  The population that went without the MMR vaccine had higher rates of the infectious diseases, but presented with lower rates of food allergies.  So, basically, if the body was busy fighting off real infectious diseases, it was too busy to pay attention to "normal" foods and see them as invaders.  I don't think this is the sole reason for the food allergy epidemic, of course, but at least the theory makes a bit more sense to me, now.

After that, we had the Auvi-Q demo, which I discussed in the previous post.  We also had more discussions on various food allergy and anaphylaxis topics.

Later on, lunch was catered by "Mama's & Cafe Baci", which had gluten-free menu items.  Before our arrival, Sanofi asked us if we had any food allergies or dietary restrictions.  During that allergy-friendly lunch, I got to chat a little more with the other attendees, and it was so wonderful, just to be around such creative souls, and people I have admired and learned from and sit in an atmosphere of people who share a common cause, yet still have their own unique opinions on the various topics concerning the food allergy and anaphylaxis community.

The entire event only lasted for 4 hours, but I felt like we could have continued talking for 24 hours straight, if given the chance!  

When Flax Leaves Tracks

No matter how much I learn, I still make mistakes, sometimes.  (As always, I tell you ahead of time, she's totally fine and this was not a big reaction.)

A couple of weeks ago, I was making a "pizza crust" for my daughter and I ran out of my Authentic Foods GF flour, so I went into the pantry and got a box of King Arthur Flour (KAF) GF Multi-Purpose Flour to use.  I made the crust, cut it into some cute shapes (she had grown tired of the standard "round" crust) and she had her dinner.  Later that evening, she had lots of spots all over her legs.  I gave her some Allegra, and luckily nothing more came of it.  I thought to myself, "what in the world caused this?"   I could not think of anything that she had eaten out of the ordinary.  It had been a long time since she had King Arthur Flour, but she had eaten it many times before, without any apparent issue.  I keep a running diary on Google Docs (now Google Drive) and I consulted it and didn't see anything that stood out.  The only thing "different", though, was the KAF, so I didn't give it to her the next day, and the rash cleared, so I went to look at the box, again, and noticed something odd about the box.  I noticed that it didn't have the "*Free of the Top 8 allergens" note that it usually has on it.  Eep!  I got a little panicky and wondered what was going on...I grabbed my box of KAF GF Bread Mix and it had the "Top 8 Free" notice on it, so I knew it wasn't something that I imagined.  I scurried to the website to see what the deal was and I saw that the labeling had changed and it used to read "Wheat Free / Nut Free / Soy Free" on the front and now it only reads, "Wheat Free". I also realized that *GASP* I had never written to them to ask them if there was a risk of cross-contamination with flax seed!
:O

I guess it was because I started using KAF well before flax was prominent on my radar and did not remember to re-check it after we figured out it was an allergen.  Either way, it was a mega-oversight on my part.  So, I wrote to them and sure enough, they advised against using the Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour if my daughter has a flax seed allergy. :/  They did assure me that their flour is still made in a facility that does not have the Top 8 allergens, but it is not independently certified, so they no longer label it as such.  They also stated that nothing has changed about their manufacturing process, other than the labeling.

Sigh...My poor angel...How many unexplained rashes might have actually been caused by that flour? :(  As with any cross-contamination risk, it's the luck of of the draw as to how often the "flax leaves tracks", so I guess there were just several times that we "got away with it" and this most recent time there was a higher level of contamination.  We were just very lucky that it wasn't higher than that!

So, my apologies for all the recipes in which I mentioned the use of King Arthur Flour, thus insinuating that it is flax-safe, given that my daughter has a flax seed allergy.  I will amend those recipes post haste, with a note, until I can try them out with different flour to see how they work out.

What are the lessons, here?

• Read every label, every time! (Not that it necessarily would have helped with the flax, but it started me on the path to contacting the company...)
• Always contact companies about cross-contamination risks, ESPECIALLY if your child is allergic to a non-"Top 8" item...
• Keep a food diary to help with identifying allergic reaction culprits...

Auvi-Q - The Audio Visual Lifesaver

The Auvi-Q has returned in ownership to its original inventors and their company, kaléo. Device features should remain exactly the same, but coverage and pricing details have changed.

An updated post will be published.

It was an absolute privilege and honor to be able to attend the Sanofi Social Media Summit in New Jersey.    Before I proceed any further with my post, I want to make sure and provide the following disclaimer.  Sanofi US paid for all of my travel expenses in conjunction with this summit.  However, I am in no way obligated to discuss Sanofi US, the Auvi-Q™, or say anything favorable, etc.  I think those of you who read my original post know that I have been excited about this device since I first heard about it.  I have been palpably excited, actually wiggling my fingers together with anticipation over this device, and I still cannot believe that I was lucky enough to be invited to see it.  It's humbling and I intend to respect that honor by bringing you all my full, honest opinion, as always.

OK, now that we have that out of the way... :)

I'll have to have a separate post on the rest of the summit, otherwise this will be 2 miles long, so without further ado...here is the low-down on the Auvi-Q™:  (Remember, except for items in quotes, or where specified, these are my opinions and assessments and do not reflect the opinions of Sanofi US or its subsidiaries or partners, etc.  I am not a medical professional.  I'm just a mother, so please consult a physician when making decisions about medication usage.)

• "Developed by patients, for patients®" - Designed by Eric and Evan Edwards, it is the product of at least 15 years of dedicated education, research and innovation by twin brothers who have lived with the risk of anaphylaxis and know this condition first hand.  This is not a widget being marketed AT us.  This is a solution that was dreamed up and materialized FOR us, by two men who understand our needs, because they share the same needs.  They founded a company, Intelliject, then partnered with Sanofi US and here we are, on the precipice of what I'm hoping is a great shift towards higher rates of patient carrying of epinephrine.  It always makes me shudder to read the statistics that as many as 2/3 of those who should carry epinephrine do not do so, and we read story after story about a teen who has died from an allergic reaction and the repeating part of the story is that they were not carrying their epinephrine.  I am very hopeful that this is the device that will finally change that!  
• It's so much smaller than I imagined! - When you see it on their website, it's floating in all this white space, and even though they give the description that it's the size of a credit card, and many of us have taken out credit cards to gauge the size, when we saw it in person, we were still amazed at how compact it was, in our hands!  The tapered design makes it very easy to grip, like it's molded to your palm.  It's about the thickness of a Blackberry and can easily fit in a shirt pocket, pants pocket, etc.



The trainer sitting on top of an HTC EVO



I am 5'3" (OK, 5 2 1/2") and I have small hands -
my index finger and thumb wrap all the way around it!

• Temperature concerns - We asked about the temperature range and since it holds epinephrine, it's subject to the same exact temperature limits (59º-86ºF) that we've always had, but that's not so bad.  The epinephrine is protected by the outer cartridge and should reasonably hold up to being held in a garment pocket, though Sanofi US representatives couldn't give us an "official" blessing on that, since no official study was done on body head transfer through any particular type of clothing, etc.  However, in my humble, non-medical opinion, the slightly out-of-temperature-range epinephrine that you have with you, works MUCH better than the perfectly maintained epinephrine that you left at home!
• Retractable needle - NO swinging required - When you administer the Auvi-Q™, you remove the safety cover, then the safety cap, and you gently press it into the thigh.  The trainer will make a "hiss" sound, simulating the administration of the medicine.  It happens in a matter of a second, yet it has you wait for a count of 5, just to be perfectly safe.  The needle retracts, immediately, and the patient never sees it.  What I loved about it, is that you do not have to swing and/or jab it into the thigh.  As I recounted in my post, my daughter told me it wasn't even the needle that hurt, but the actual housing of the needle and the pressure I had to put on her leg, to administer the shot, that hurt.  The Auvi-Q™ has a wider base, so the pressure is diffused over a wider surface area.  Oh, and the needle is just as thin, from what I was told, so there shouldn't be any pain involved there, from what my daughter described...
• The trainer is GRAY! - There is no confusing this trainer with the real thing, or vice versa!  The labeling is dark gray, and the word "TRAINER" is embossed on the top.  
The audio prompts say that it's a training device more than once.  There are labels all around it that reference the fact that it's a trainer.  The insert that comes with it tells you it's a trainer, and it practice often, but to remember to always carry your active device for emergencies.  At product launch, a prescription will come with two live devices and one training device.  
• Color-coded dosage levels with weight ranges right on the label - Many, many a time, I have seen message board questions (and I have asked the question myself) about the weight limits and differences between the 0.15mg dosage and the 0.3mg dosage.  Now, it's right on the label!  I only have one child, so it's not an issue for me, but if you have more than one, I think an easy way to remember the dosage for younger children, weighing 33-66 pounds is "BABY BLUE", even though not many babies are 33 pounds. ;)  Also, remember, these weigh limits are the same as they have always been and are inherent to epinephrine and not the Auvi-Q™, itself.  The administration guidelines and real-world usage of epinephrine still remain the same. 
• Voice prompts not tied to medicine use - You do NOT have to wait for the voice prompts to administer the device.  Before we even asked about it, during the presentation, they told us that if we were already trained and ready, we could just take off the cover and cap and administer the device right away.  The voice prompts do not affect the administration of the medication.  The trainer insert states that the batteries in the trainer (which I assume are similar to those in the real device) will allow you to practice with the device every day for 2 years.  Even if due to some glitch, the batteries did not work, the device will still administer the medication.  They are independent of each other.  There are also the visual cues (pictures) on the device to show you what to do, should the audio not work, or if the person does not speak English, etc.
  --I made a quick video to show how you can just take off the cover and safety cap and bypass the voice prompts to get right down to business.  (It's not my best videography, but you get the idea.) ;)
• Language and launch date - Currently, for the U.S. launch, it will only be available in English and they expect it to be available sometime in the first quarter of 2013, so we could see them by March 2013.  (When it is launched in Canada, where it will be called the Allerject™, it will be available in English and French, as required by law, but I have no information on a release date for that.)
• Pricing - Though the specific pricing was not available, I would expect it to be comparable to what is currently on the market.  It would behoove them to be competitively priced, but I also understand that they have 15+ years of R&D expenditures to recover, plus this product is superior, advanced, etc.  Since this is a medical device, the cost to the patient will vary tremendously, based on insurance plan tier, local drug store promotions, etc.  They have a program called Sanofi Patient Connection through which those needing financial assistance may be able to receive help in obtaining the medication they need. (Update: If you go to www.auvi-q.com/signup, you can get a coupon for a maximum co-pay of $25 (up to $60 off co-pay), or $60 off the cash price.)
• Imagine the possibilities! - This device is so small and represents a quantum leap in the delivery of injectable epinephrine.  This is *not* a "talking EpiPen"...It's NOT even a pen!  At first, I thought the best part about it was that it was compact and portable.  I was completely underrating the fact that it could talk.  Imagine the peace of mind this device can bring to friends, relatives, caregivers, school personnel, etc.  I'm hoping this will also help bring peace of mind to parents who are nervous around injectables.  For many of us, it takes that first experience to get over our fears, but when you see, hold and hear this device, I'm hoping you will find it as comforting as I did.
• The "cool factor" - Even though this is a life-saving device, which is as serious as it gets, I also think it's just plain cool.  I'm hoping tweens and teens will find it equally appealing, as well.  I think it's discreet in size, and for those obsessed with having the latest in tech gadgetry, I'm hopeful that this will be the must-have item for their collection.  Also, there's really just no excuse left for them to NOT be carrying their epinephrine, anymore.  If they can carry a smartphone, iPod, etc., then they can find a space for their Auvi-Q™s!   

Minor Critiques: (Just to prove that I'm not completely clouded by my overwhelming love for this product!) ;)

• The audio script on the trainer is not identical to what the actual device tells you.  Now, of course, you want the device to start off by telling you it is a training device, but it does not mention the part about seeking emergency medical attention.  I know you don't want it to tell people to actually seek medical attention, but it could say, "If this were a true anaphylactic emergency, you would seek emergency medical attention", like they do on those "emergency alert system" messages.  It just mentions, at the end, that the trainer can be reused for training purposes.  I want the people being trained to have that part ingrained in their brains.  *Use this device - seek emergency medical care*
• It might be a little "loss prone" for younger ones, like other smaller electronic devices.  It might also fall out of pockets, if not properly secured.  It was tested to withstand 9-12" of rainfall for 20 minutes, which is completely reasonable, but if it is dropped in a river or toilet, it should be replaced for sanitary reasons.  The "dropping in the toilet" is a real concern, if people are carrying it in pockets.  I don't think that's anything Sanofi can really solve, but it will be a concern for patients to manage, as they do with all of their small electronics.  
• Speaking of electronics, one of the first things my husband asked me about was the recycling of the electronics when we get a new device.  He thought the inner medicine would be replaced each year, somehow, but I told him an entire new set of devices would be dispensed, and I think he was a bit concerned about the amount of waste involved.  That might be something for Sanofi to look into, as well, if they haven't already.  Considering that these devices contain batteries, they must be handled properly when they expire.  (Sanofi US's corporate HQ in New Jersey is LEED certified, so I'm sure they'd be open to the prospect of eco-friendly recycling of expired devices.)
• I have a muscle-weakness condition and sometimes have localized minor weakness in my hands.  I found the red safety cap a bit difficult to remove, at times.  (I have already played with it, oh, about a gazillion times.)  It was doable, but I had to figure out just the right angle to give myself enough leverage.  I thought of those who might have arthritis and similar conditions.  I know we want the device to be somewhat childproof, for the littlest ones, but to me, the safety cap, is just a "safety" precaution, to make sure that we are aware of what we're doing and not something that we want to have as a physical barrier to use.  Even my husband remarked that the red safety cap was more difficult to pull off than he imagined and he is a very strong man.  He took it off easily upon a second try, but it might be something for Sanofi to consider loosening.

None of those are a "deal breakers" for me, though, and I still have high hopes for the Auvi-Q™.  I foresee it saving many lives.  

Having seen it, held it and used it (the trainer, of course), I want to see an Auvi-Q™ in every restaurant, classroom, airport, airplane, public space, etc.  Now, when I say that, I mean I want them there for people who do NOT know they are at risk for anaphylaxis and have an unexpected reaction!  If you know you are at risk for anaphylaxis, carry your OWN epinephrine!

I eagerly await the release of the Auvi-Q™, as I'm sure many of you do, as well.  If you have any questions that I did not address here, please feel free to ask.  I tried to remember everything, but we covered quite a bit! :) ---> The Auvi-Q has arrived!  Check out my post showing what's in the box, now that I actually have the real thing!

P.S.  Check out the awesome Grateful Foodie's post about the Auvi-Q™, where she is compiling our posts from the summit, so you can see what everyone else's take on the Auvi-Q™, as well.  Thank you, Caroline, for  posting the links! :)

P.P.S.  Some have mentioned that it's the size of a deck of cards, but it's actually smaller than that.  Here is a standard deck of cards I had in the house, that I used for comparison.

Also, here it is, compared to a bottle of Wal-Dryl.  (It's often hard to find dye-free Benadryl, so I stick with the Walgreens brand.)

Epinephrine Auto-Injectors - The Kleenex Effect

Ever since Kyle Dine first posted on Facebook about the new Auvi-Q™ epinephrine auto-injector coming onto the scene, I've been thinking about something.  It has also been even more so on my mind, now, since I have been given the very exciting opportunity to attend the Auvi-Q™ Social Media Summit, next week, where I will get the chance to see the new Auvi-Q™ auto-injector up-close-and-personal, though I promise all of this occurred to me well before that invitation was extended. : )

Let me give you a wee bit of my background, first.  I have a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) degree, with a concentration in International Business and an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree, with a concentration in Marketing Management.  However, I never worked in either of those fields.  Go figure. :)  I ended up working in the IT field, until I quit my full-time job to have my daughter.  After a few years of pure "stay-at-home-Mommy-ness", two of said years spent organizing a playgroup (with the help of some other amazing co-organizing mommies) with 70+ members, I now work part-time at my former IT job, remotely, so I can stay close to my daughter.  (All those things were/are made possible by the support of my amazing husband and parents, particularly my father.  (My mother is sight-impaired and cannot care for my daughter, though she certainly provides plenty of love and attention.)  I am no one-woman-dynamo, I assure you!)  Anyway, it's the marketing part of my schooling that I'm dusting off here.

Have you ever heard of something called "The Kleenex Effect"?  It has also been called "The Branding Effect", but the most famous example is that of Kleenex®.  When you sneeze, you might often ask someone to pass you a "Kleenex", but they may really be passing you a "Puffs®" brand facial tissue.  I would say "Pampers" is another theoretical example of this, but this has to apply to non-parents, because what diaper-using mommy doesn't know the difference between Pampers® Baby Dry™ and Huggies® Snug & Dry™?  (I'm totally being silly, here, but there are some of us who do notice which diapers work better.)  The point is that "Pampers" is a word that became synonymous with diapers.  We also often ask for "Band-Aids®" instead of "adhesive bandages", etc.  

Well, we have that situation going on with the EpiPen®.  There is no doubt that the EpiPen® is the dominant auto-injector in town, at least here in the U.S.  I don't really know anyone who carries an Adrenaclick® or a Twinject®, though the latter may be used more in Canada.  When researching for this post, I found that the main auto-injectors for the UK are the Anapen® and Jext®.  

I think that when I see people posting about auto-injector use, they are writing about EpiPens, because they really are talking about an actual EpiPen®, as I know that is the case when I do it.  However, now I'm noticing that it's popping up in training literature and educational videos, etc.  They're writing things like, "When to use an EpiPen."  Hmm, what if I have a different device?  Don't you mean, "When to use an epinephrine auto-injector?"  Sure, it takes longer to write, but I'm talking about technical materials, that should be impartial and independent of brand affiliation.  They can certainly mention examples, and I have seen ones that state, "such as EpiPen®, Twinject®, etc.)  What if Mylan comes out with a new device next year?  Well, we know at the very least that Sanofi's Auvi-Q™ is due out this quarter.           

In looking at this from a marketing/future development standpoint, I think we need to return to the standard acronym of EAI (epinephrine auto-injector).  It's the acronym I've seen used in various clinical articles and other medical papers.  Yes, it's also the acronym that Auvi-Q uses on their site, of course.  They must also be aware of this issue.  I can't be the only one that has noticed! ;)  I think their goals and our goals are compatible, in this case.  We want competition in this market.  We want innovations and advances.  The EpiPen® was redesigned back in 2009 to provide needle coverage before and after use and we now wait to see what new advances are to come in new products.  

Also, I believe one of the anaphylaxis community's goals is to have epinephrine available in all public places, in the same way we see portable AED machines provided.  Those devices have a distinctive logo, of a heart with a white lightning bolt through them, and the letters "AED" for "Automated External Defibrillator" on them.  If we want something like that, we'll need a universally-identifiable logo, as well.  This is just my quick attempt at a sample to give you an idea of what I mean:  

We need the general public to be knowledgeable about all different kinds of auto-injectors.  We don't know when we're going to get our wish for these epinephrine stations and we don't know what kind of auto-injectors are going to go in them.

So, in the near future, some of us might be carrying a set of Auvi-Qs™, and some might have an EpiPen 2-PAK® and others may have another brand, or we might be carrying all of them, for good measure!  Either way, perhaps we should make it a point to be more specific about what we are discussing when it's a specific item, yet be general in our terminology, when we are not discussing a particular brand of auto-injector.  Now, I'm not suggesting we go so far as to bust out with the Alt+0153 on the 10-key to make the ™ and the Alt+0174 to make the ®, every time we write their names, of course, as I only did that for illustrative purposes.  However, getting back to using "EAI" when discussing the generic use of auto-injectors will allow that space for innovation and brand diversity, so we don't fall into the "Kleenex" trap.

Edited to Add: Ha! My friend just asked me if I had read my latest issue of Allergic Living magazine and I admitted that it was still sitting on the pile of magazines from last week.  She pointed me to an article in it about the Auvi-Q entitled,"The Talking Auto-Injector", where they referred to it as "the AED of epinephrine auto-injectors".  I promise that I conceived of and wrote this post before reading that article!  I guess we're just on the same wavelength and it makes perfect sense...what can I say? :)