Health minister set to make U.S.-made EpiPen alternative available in Canada

OTTAWA – The federal government says an alternative to EpiPens will be available next month for Canadians with life-threatening allergies.

Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor says she has signed an interim order to allow the U.S.-approved Auvi-Q epinephrine auto-injectors to be imported into Canada.

The order is effective for two weeks while approval is sought to extend the order for up to one year.

READ MORE: Health Canada reviewing whether to extend EpiPen expiry dates

Canada has been experiencing shortages of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. auto-injectors for the past several months. Pfizer Canada has said that it has resumed shipments of EpiPen but that the supply of both EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. continues to be limited while it works to return supply to normal levels.

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Auvi-Q, made by Kaleo, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Both EpiPen and Auvi-Q deliver the same labelled dose of epinephrine, however, unlike EpiPen, Auvi-Q has a retractable needle as well as an electronic voice instruction system.