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Heather Bresch
Former CEO of Mylan N.V.
CEO who oversaw the 500%+ price increase of the EpiPen from $57 to $609 while taking $98 million in personal compensation; daughter of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin
Overview
Heather Bresch (born 1969) served as CEO of Mylan N.V. (later Viatris) from 2012 to 2020. Under her leadership, the price of the EpiPen auto-injector, used by millions of Americans for life-threatening allergic reactions, increased from approximately $57 per pair to over $609, a price increase exceeding 500% over eight years. During this period, Bresch total compensation exceeded $98 million, including a year where she received $25 million in a single compensation package. When called before the House Oversight Committee in 2016, Bresch deflected blame onto the healthcare system while Mylan was simultaneously lobbying for legislation requiring schools to stock EpiPens at the inflated price. Her father, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), had sponsored the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act in 2013, which drove institutional demand for the product. Bresch also faced controversy over an MBA degree from West Virginia University that was later found to have been improperly awarded; the university president resigned over the scandal. Mylan settled a DOJ investigation in 2017 for $465 million over allegations that it had overcharged Medicaid by misclassifying the EpiPen as a generic drug rather than a branded product, avoiding hundreds of millions in rebates owed to the government.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Oversaw 500%+ price increase of the EpiPen from $57 to over $609 per pair while millions of Americans depended on the device for life-threatening allergic reactions
Received over $98 million in total compensation during the EpiPen price-gouging period, including $25 million in a single year
Father, Senator Joe Manchin, sponsored legislation requiring schools to stock EpiPens, driving institutional demand for the product at inflated prices
MBA degree from West Virginia University was found to have been improperly awarded after intervention by university officials; WVU president Mike Garrison resigned over the scandal
Mylan paid $465 million to settle DOJ allegations that it overcharged Medicaid by misclassifying EpiPen as generic to avoid rebate obligations
Testified before House Oversight Committee in 2016 and deflected blame for pricing onto the healthcare system while Mylan continued lobbying for mandatory school EpiPen purchases
Mylan moved its corporate headquarters to the Netherlands in 2015 via a tax inversion to reduce U.S. tax liability while still benefiting from U.S. government contracts
Related Investigations (3)
Known Associates & Connections
Joe Manchin
Father; U.S. Senator (D-WV) who sponsored school EpiPen mandate legislation while daughter profited from the product
Robert Coury
Mylan Executive Chairman who collaborated with Bresch on corporate strategy and received $98 million in a single compensation year
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
House Oversight Committee: Reviewing the Rising Price of EpiPens - Bresch Testimony(2016-09-21)
DOJ: Mylan Agrees to Pay $465 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Underpaying EpiPen Rebates(2017-08-17)
SEC: Mylan N.V. Executive Compensation Filings(2012-2020)
Personal Information
- Born
- 1969-07-09
- Birthplace
- Morgantown, West Virginia
Education
- •West Virginia University (MBA - later found to have been improperly awarded; university president resigned)
- •West Virginia University (B.A.)
Key Timeline
2007
Becomes President of Mylan Inc.
2012
Appointed CEO of Mylan N.V.
2013
Father Joe Manchin sponsors the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, driving institutional demand for EpiPens
2016-08
National outcry over EpiPen price reaching $609; Congress demands hearings
2016-09
Testifies before House Oversight Committee; defends pricing by blaming the healthcare system
2017-08
Mylan settles with DOJ for $465 million over Medicaid misclassification fraud
2020
Retires as CEO of Viatris (Mylan merger with Upjohn); receives multi-million dollar exit package