A recent tweak to a Medicaid formula could be behind the shake-up to inhaler products, a series of changes that have both benefited and harmed patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
Three of the four major inhaler manufacturers have announced plans to cap patient copays for all their inhalers at $35 a month in recent weeks, in addition to lowering the list prices of some of those products. But one drugmaker also withdrew two popular children’s inhalers from the market, and the alternative is in short supply.
Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca PLC and GlaxoSmithKline, also known as GSK PLC, all announced the $35 monthly copay cap, which could significantly extend the impact of their current patient assistance programs. The companies have simultaneously cut list prices — the initial price before health plans negotiate discounts and rebates — for some, but not all, of their inhalers.
