Drug Companies Step Forward with Voluntary Price Caps on Inhalers
Drug companies Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca and GSK have announced they are capping out-of-pocket costs for their inhaler products at $35 per month. INHALE applauds all three companies for their decision! This will help reduce the financial burden for many people who use inhalers to treat asthma and COPD. Price caps for Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca inhalers go into effect on June 1, 2024. GSK says it will implement its price caps no later than January 1, 2025.
Boehringer Ingelheim inhalers affected by the price cap include:
- 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
- Striverdi® Respimat® (olodaterol) Inhalation Spray
AstraZeneca inhalers affected by the price cap include:
- AIRSUPRA® (albuterol and budesonide)
- Bevespi Aerosphere® (glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol
- Breztri Aerosphere® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol
- Symbicort® (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol
AstraZeneca also says it substantially reduced the list price for Symbicort starting Jan. 1, 2024.
GSK inhalers affected by the price cap include:
- 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)
- Ventolin HFA (albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol)
The price caps will apply at retail pharmacies. They should be particularly helpful for people who are uninsured or underinsured. Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca and GSK say they will continue to offer patient assistance programs, discounts and rebates for inhalers. The companies say they cannot control any inhaler fees added on by pharmacy benefit managers.
*For eligible patients. Terms and conditions apply. Government restrictions exclude people enrolled in federal government insurance programs from co-pay support. Please refer to each pharmaceutical company announcement for details.
