Allergy & Asthma Network says $35 inhaler price cap will improve health, wellness

Key takeaways:

• The Allergy & Asthma Network (AAN) applauds corporate decisions to cap inhaler prices at $35.
• Two caps are set to take effect June 1.
• The AAN hopes other drugs will also see price caps.

After three major pharmaceutical companies said they will enact a monthly $35 price cap on their inhaler products, the Allergy & Asthma Network applauded this move to make treatment more affordable for patients.

The three companies are AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and GSK.

Healio spoke with Allergy & Asthma Network (AAN) CEO Lynda Mitchell, MA, CAE, about what a price cap means for patients that need monthly inhalers.

Lynda Mitchell

“Greater access to more affordable medications will help improve the health and wellness of people with asthma,” Mitchell said. “Too often we have seen patients forgo or delay filling their asthma inhaler prescription due to high costs. High prices of inhalers not only affect people who are uninsured or underinsured — they can also affect people who choose a high deductible health insurance plan.”

The CDC reports that patients who have above average copays for their asthma medication tend to skip filling their prescriptions, which can lead to more hospitalizations.

“It is very important that people with asthma use their asthma medications as prescribed,” Mitchell said. “Those who go without taking their medication, whether it’s a quick-relief inhaler or daily controller inhaler, may see their asthma worsen — and for some symptoms may become life-threatening.”

As more medications are seeing a price cap on out-of-pocket costs, AAN emphasizes that other drugs also need to be considered.

“One of our other priorities is making sure people have access to epinephrine for anaphylaxis,” Mitchell said. “We’d much rather see voluntary price controls than ones imposed by state or federal governments.”

AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim will impose their inhaler price caps on June 1, whereas GSK aims for no later than January of next year.

“People are relieved to know they will be able to buy their asthma and COPD medications at an affordable price,” Mitchell said.

References:

• Drug companies step forward with voluntary price caps on inhalers. https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/news/drug-company-asthma-inhaler-price-cap/. Published March 21, 2024. Accessed April 1, 2024.
• CDC: Control asthma. https://www.cdc.gov/sixeighteen/asthma/index.htm. Updated March 9, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2024.