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THIS POST IS NOW OUTDATED.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