((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
(Added information on Boehringer’s Spiriva to paragraphs 8 and 9)
Boehringer Ingelheim will cap out-of-pocket costs for its inhaled products for the treatment of chronic lung disease and asthma at $35 per month, starting June 1, the German drugmaker announced Thursday.
The company said its new program will significantly reduce costs at the pharmacy counter for patients, including those who are uninsured or underinsured.
High health care costs in the United States are a serious concern for lawmakers and politicians, and reducing them is a key plank of President Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign.
“Conversations about prescription drug pricing continue, and we have listened. We believe it is important to propose solutions now that will benefit patients, while continuing to work with policymakers and other parties stakeholders on broader system reform,” the company said.
Boehringer will also lower the list price of some of its inhalers, the company said, without providing further details.
The company has reduced out-of-pocket fees for its entire line of inhalation products, including Atrovent, Combivent Respimat and Spiriva HandiHaler, used to treat respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). , a disease that usually affects smokers.
COPD, or “smoker’s lung,” which gradually damages the lungs, affects about 16 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In June last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first generic version of Boehringer’s Spiriva HandiHaler by Indian drugmaker Lupine Ltd LUPN.NS .
Spiriva, once a top-selling lung disease drug to control COPD symptoms, has come under pressure from generic competition in Europe and rival drugs such as GSK Plc’s Advair
GSK.L and Roche’s Xolair ROG.S, among others.
Boehringer was accused in a federal lawsuit in Boston on Wednesday of improperly submitting patents to the FDA to delay generic competition and inflate prices for its lung disease drugs Combivent Respimat and Spiriva Respimat.