Article Summary –
Earlier this year, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and GlaxoSmithKline agreed to cap the price of asthma inhalers at $35 per month after a Democratic-led Senate Committee investigation, addressing public backlash over high costs. This measure, similar to last year’s insulin price cap under the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to alleviate the financial burden on Americans, though not covering those on Medicare and Medicaid. The price cap addresses significant disparities, as inhalers are much more expensive in the U.S. compared to other countries, with uninsured and privately insured individuals being eligible for the cap.
Several major drugmakers have capped the price of asthma inhalers at $35 per month, following public outrage and pressure from Democratic lawmakers.
AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and GlaxoSmithKline capped costs earlier this year. AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim’s caps started June 1, while GlaxoSmithKline’s begins January 1.
This move echoes similar steps by insulin manufacturers to cap insulin costs at $35 per month after the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped insulin costs for seniors on Medicare.
In the US, inhaler costs are significantly higher than in other wealthy nations. An investigation found AstraZeneca charged $645 in the US versus $49 in the UK. Teva Pharmaceuticals charged $286 in the US for an inhaler that costs $9 in Germany.
Both the uninsured and those with private insurance are eligible for the price cap. A Boehringer Ingelheim spokesperson said the price cap is automatically applied for most eligible patients with commercial insurance. Uninsured can visit the company’s website to enroll in a copay card reducing the cost to $35.
Due to federal restrictions, those insured through Medicare and Medicaid aren’t eligible for price caps.
More than 27 million people in the US have asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), including five million children. According to the most recent CDC data, 717,344 adults in North Carolina have asthma.
“Americans can breathe easier knowing they can afford prescriptions,” Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach said in a statement. “The high cost of inhalers shows why we need the Inflation Reduction Act and measures to control drug prices. Democrats focus on lowering costs, while Republicans aim to repeal the act and benefit big drug companies.”
Dr. Alan Baptist of Henry Ford Health in Detroit told NBC News that lack of access and high prices worsen racial disparities in asthma care.
According to the American Lung Association, Black people were 42% more likely than white people to have asthma due to social determinants like limited access to quality health care.
“Outcomes and adverse events are worse,” Baptist said. According to the Office of Minority Health, Black children were 4.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma and 7.6 times more likely to die from it in 2019.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America said the price caps were a “step toward improving access to essential asthma medicine.”
“The announced price cap shows the asthma patient community is being heard,” Kenneth Mendez, AAFA president, said in a statement. “Access to asthma medications saves lives, reduces hospitalizations, and lowers the $82 billion annual cost to the US economy from this disease.”
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