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Homehealth and scienceHow Mylan's multimillion-dollar marketing convinced us we need the EpiPen

How Mylan’s multimillion-dollar marketing convinced us we need the EpiPen

Seemingly clinging to a creaky branch, Mylan's embattled CEO Heather Bresch on Thursday defended her company's widely panned price hike of EpiPens, assigning blame instead to an "outdated" U.S. health care system.

But what Bresch also failed to shoulder is the company's responsibility for aggressive marketing tactics that have led to the overall perception that the Mylan EpiPen is an essential first aid device that no one should be without.

EpiPenJoe Raedle | Getty Images

The glossy marketing campaign for this life-saving emergency device has included high-profile figures such as Sarah Jessica Parker—who announced Thursday that she has "ended my relationship with Mylan as a direct result" of the price hike—$35 million on TV advertising in 2014, (up from $4.8 million the year before), plus a $2 million blitz during the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The television ads, which stop short of fear-mongering but that strike an ominous tone, warn viewers that "Every six minutes, food allergies send someone to the hospital. Always avoid your allergens, and talk to your doctor about a prescription treatment you should carry for reactions."

More from NBC News:
Mylan CEO's EpiPen price arguments fall short
EpiPen prices rocket along with drugmaker executive's pay
EpiPen price hike has parents of kids with allergies scrambling ahead of school year

In 2012, Bresch spoke to The New York Times about her plan to make emergency epinephrine injectors more widely available in public places. Doug Tsao, a pharmaceuticals analyst, told the Times that he believed this outreach was essentially a Trojan horse for generating demand for the product.

"When the school nurse uses EpiPen, what does the nurse refer parents to?" Tsao said. "I think that is absolutely part of the motivation."

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