Jim Bourg/Reuters
The mother of EpiPen manufacturer Mylan’s chief executive used her position as head of an education group to boost sales of the EpiPen, USA Today reported Tuesday. Gayle Manchin, mother of Mylan CEO Heather Bresch and wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), took over as head of the National Association of State Boards of Education in 2012 and began a nationwide effort to require schools to purchase medical devices for allergic reactions. According to USA Today’s report, that effort directly led to Mylan obtaining a near-monopoly over the sales of epinephrine autoinjector to school nurses’ offices, thanks to state and federal laws encouraging the stocking of EpiPens. Mylan is the subject of controversy surrounding its 450-percent price increase last month, with Bresch set to testify Wednesday before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.