Trend toward $35 monthly cost cap for inhalers a big win for millions of people with asthma

Washington, DC, March 20, 2024 – The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) welcomes an announcement from drug manufacturer GSK that the company will cap out-of-pocket costs for its asthma inhalers at $35 a month for eligible patients in the United States.  

GSK is the third major inhaler manufacturer to announce a $35 a month cap for asthma inhalers within the past two weeks. AstraZeneca made a similar announcement earlier this week, following Boehringer Ingelheim’s announcement  earlier this month.

“The cost of asthma inhalers is going down,” said AAFA president and CEO Kenneth Mendez. “Today’s announcement from GSK continues a promising trend of drug companies taking steps to make asthma medicines affordable and accessible. On behalf of the 27 million people in the United States with asthma, we welcome this trend.”

While encouraged by the news of manufacturers lowering costs for asthma medicines, AAFA continues to call on all stakeholders in the drug pricing ecosystem to take action. The U.S. health care system is complex, and often leaves patients with few affordable options for treating asthma.

“Drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, insurers, employers, and the government operate in a perverse system that drives prices higher,” said Mendez. All stakeholders must work together to improve affordability and access.”

Last fall, AAFA shared patient stories and its Asthma Disparities in America report with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee which then launched an investigation into the high price of asthma inhalers on January 8, 2024.

“The top reason for people to have untreated asthma has been related to the high costs of these medicines,” said Melanie Carver, AAFA chief mission officer. “Lower out-of-pocket costs have the potential to drastically improve asthma health outcomes.”

Affordable access to asthma medications can save lives, reduce hospitalizations, and lower the more than $82 billion in annual costs to the U.S. economy from this chronic disease.