Second Inhaler Company Caps Prices at $35 a Month After Baldwin’s Investigation into High Costs
AstraZeneca joins Boehringer Ingelheim in capping prices after increased scrutiny from Baldwin
News comes as Baldwin meets with patients impacted by the high cost of inhalers in Milwaukee today
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, AstraZeneca joined Boehringer Ingelheim as the second inhaler manufacturer to announce they are capping the out-of-pocket cost for their inhaler products at $35 per month in the United States. This news comes after Senator Baldwin and her colleagues launched an investigation into the high costs Americans pay for inhalers, demanding answers from the four biggest inhaler manufacturers – including AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim – on why they charge hundreds of dollars more for their products in the United States than elsewhere.
Starting June 1, 2024, AstraZeneca will cap their US inhaled respiratory medicines at $35 per month for eligible patients. Earlier this month, Boehringer Ingelheim also announced they are capping prices for their inhaler products on June 1.
Today, Baldwin is hosting a roundtable discussion with patients, providers, and advocates on the high cost of inhalers and her efforts to hold big drug companies accountable to lower the price of inhalers. Milwaukee ranked fourth among the nation’s top “asthma capitals” and pediatric uncontrolled asthma is a leading cause of emergency room visits in the city. This event comes on the heels of Senator Baldwin’s roundtable in Dane County in which she heard stories about the barriers patients and families face to accessing inhalers.
In January, Senator Baldwin and three of her colleagues on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) launched an investigation into the extremely high prices four large pharmaceutical companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca, charge for inhalers that 25 million Americans with asthma and 16 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rely on to breathe.
Earlier this year, Senator Baldwin also called on the four biggest inhaler companies to stop unfairly locking out generics from the market and driving up the cost of inhalers for Americans. Specifically, in letters to AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, and Teva, Senator Baldwin called on the companies to stop improperly listing patents for inhalers in the Orange Book and stifling competition.
An online version of this release is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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