Drug Companies to Cap Out-of-Pocket Inhaler Costs

Out-of-pocket costs for AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim inhalers will be capped at $35 per month beginning in June, the drugmakers recently announced in separate statements. GlaxoSmithKline said it will implement a $35 cap by the end of 2024.

In a March 7, 2024, announcement, Boehringer Ingelheim said patients will pay no more than $35 a month at retail pharmacies for any of its inhalers, including:

• Atrovent HFA (ipratropium bromide HFA) Inhalation Aerosol,
• Combivent Respimat (ipratropium bromide and albuterol) Inhalation Spray,
• Spiriva HandiHaler (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder),
• Spiriva Respimat 1.25 mcg (tiotropium bromide) Inhalation Spray,
• Spiriva Respimat 2.5 mcg (tiotropium bromide) Inhalation Spray,
• Stiolto Respimat (tiotropium bromide and olodaterol) Inhalation Spray, and
• Striverdi Respimat (olodaterol) Inhalation Spray.

Additionally, the drugmaker said it will decrease the list price on some of its inhaler products.

AstraZeneca followed suit with a March 18, 2024, statement that also announced a $35 per month out-of-pocket cap for all AstraZeneca US inhaled respiratory medicines, including:

• Airsupra (albuterol and budesonide),
• Bevespi Aerosphere (glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol,
• Breztri Aerosphere (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol, and
• Symbicort (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol.

The company added that it had substantially reduced the list price of Symbicort at the beginning of the year.

On March 20, 2024, GlaxoSmithKline announced a $35 per month out-of-pocket cap by January 1, 2025, for all of its asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medicines, including:

• Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder),
• Advair HFA (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation aerosol),
• Anoro Ellipta (umeclidinium and vilanterol inhalation powder),
• Arnuity Ellipta (fluticasone furoate inhalation powder),
• Breo Ellipta (fluticasone furoate and vilanterol inhalation powder),
• Incruse Ellipta (umeclidinium inhalation powder),
• Serevent Diskus (salmeterol xinafoate inhalation powder),
• Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium, and vilanterol inhalation powder), and
• Ventolin HFA (albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol).

The manufacturer added that it had recently dropped the wholesale acquisition cost for Advair Diskus an average 50% and Advair HFA an average 20%.

In January, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, announced an investigation into the high costs Americans with asthma and COPD pay for inhalers. According to the Sen. Sanders, inhaler prices in the United States are 10 to 70 times higher than in Europe and elsewhere around the world.

“With today’s announcement, the three largest manufacturers of inhalers in the world have all committed to cap the cost of inhalers in the United States at no more than $35 at the pharmacy counter,” Senator Sanders said in a March 20, 2024, statement. “This will significantly cut costs for millions of Americans with asthma and COPD so that they will be able to afford the inhalers they need.”

References

Boehringer Ingelheim caps patient out-of-pocket costs for its inhaler portfolio at $35 per month. News release. Boehringer Ingelheim; March 7, 2024. Accessed March 19, 2024.

AstraZeneca caps patient out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month for its US inhaled respiratory portfolio. News release. AstraZeneca; March 18, 2024. Accessed March 19, 2024.

GSK announces cap of $35 per month on US patient out-of-pocket costs for its entire portfolio of asthma and COPD inhalers. News release. GlaxoSmithKline; March 20, 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024.

NEWS: Sanders applauds GlaxoSmithKline for capping inhaler costs at $35 per month. News release. Bernie Sanders US Senator for Vermont. March 20, 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024.