The cap is effective June 1 and will apply to the company’s entire range of inhaler products used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including inhalers Symbicort, Breztri Aerosphere and Airsupra. The cap will be applicable for patients who are uninsured or underinsured.
The announcement, which follows a similar move by rival company Boehringer Ingelheim and comes amid scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers over the cost of inhalers, speaks to the political pressures facing drug manufacturers over the cost of widely used products.
The four major manufacturers of inhalers — Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Teva — are under investigation by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and other Democrats for charging Americans significantly more than consumers pay overseas for the same products.
The inhaler makers are also facing scrutiny from federal regulators for anticompetitive practices that can delay lower-cost generics from coming to market.
The Federal Trade Commission recently challenged more than 100 patents as improperly listed in the Food and Drug Administration’s database of patents and exclusivity information, including five of AstraZeneca’s patents on its blockbuster inhaler Symbicort.
The move from both AstraZeneca and BI also follows similar action taken by insulin manufacturers like Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and Eli Lilly, who committed to cap costs and slash list prices amid pressure.
In a statement, Sanders said he has spoken to the CEOs of all the companies since the investigation launched and called on GlaxoSmithKline and Teva to take similar action.
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