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An inhaler made out of coins and dollar bills

Three Major Drugmakers Cap Inhaler Costs

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By Editorial Team

2 min read

This year, three large drug companies have agreed to limit the cost of some of their inhalers. The inhalers are used by people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).1

President Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders announced the news in April 2024. They said that certain inhalers will now cost no more than $35. The president encouraged other drugmakers to add the same price cap. He also asked them to lower the costs of other prescription drugs.1,2

Increasing access to inhalers

About 27 million people in the United States have asthma. Another 16 million people have been diagnosed with COPD. Doctors say that many more people probably have COPD but do not know.2.3

People with asthma and COPD rely on inhalers to make breathing easier. Without them, they are more likely to visit the emergency room. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), lack of access to treatment – including inhalers – costs the US economy more than $82 billion each year. This includes hospital bills and loss of working hours.2,4

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Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous people in the United States tend to face additional problems accessing healthcare. Barriers include:2,5

  • Racism
  • Poverty
  • Living in a rural area
  • Not having insurance or not having enough good-quality insurance

All of these can make it hard to see a doctor. Even if people in these groups can see a doctor, they may not be able to afford the medicines they need.2,5

Deaths from asthma are dropping in the United States. But they are still far too common in Black and Puerto Rican populations. Black people are 5 times more likely than white people to visit an emergency room because of asthma. And Black people are almost 3 times more likely to die from asthma-related causes.2,5

What led to the price cap?

In 2023, the AAFA gave a report to the US Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The report showed the inequalities in treatment for asthma and COPD. People with asthma shared their stories and explained why they could not get proper treatment. The committee launched an investigation into the costs of inhalers and other medicines.2,6

The investigation showed that prescription inhalers and other medicines are more expensive in the United States. Americans pay 2 or 3 times more than people do in Canada and many European countries. The committee asked drugmakers to lower prices.1,2,6

AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) all agreed to place a $35 monthly price limit on their inhalers. AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim put the caps into effect in June 2024. GSK’s cap will begin no later than January 2025.1,2

Who will benefit the most?

The price cap is good news because it will make inhalers more widely available to those who need them most. Many people cannot afford to buy inhalers because of the cost. They may not have insurance, or they may be underinsured. Even if they do have insurance, a high deductible may still mean that inhalers are too expensive. The $35 price limit will help to ease this problem.2,5

The drugmakers said that they will still offer patient assistant programs, including discounts and rebates. But they cannot control any fees that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) choose to add. PBMs are the companies that work with insurance providers to manage clients’ access to and cost for medicines.1,7

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The COPD.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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