AstraZeneca Joins The $35 Inhaler Club; Medicare Patients Waiting On Congress For Membership

 
• By Alaric DeArment and M. Nielsen Hobbs
  
Generate a summary of this article
Listen to this article
Beta

AZ’s move follows Boehringer’s announcement earlier this month and parallels what insulin sponsors did – but almost in reverse. For inhalers, political pressure on out-of-pocket costs has produced copay caps in the commercial market first, not Medicare.

• Source: Shutterstock

Less than two weeks after a similar move by Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca has moved to cap out-of-pocket costs for its inhalers at $35 for certain patients as drug makers face increasing political pressure to lower costs. But the announcement also creates pressure of a sort on the politicians that were leaning on the sponsors: The pricing cannot extend to the Medicare population without Congressional legislation.

Key Takeaways

  • AstraZeneca’s cap on patient cost sharing for its inhaled drugs at $35 for uninsured and commercially insured individuals in the US comes weeks after Boehringer Ingelheim announced a similar plan.

AstraZeneca said on 18 March that effective 1 June, eligible patients – namely those with commercial insurance and the uninsured...

Pink Sheet Podcast

Learn what's happening at the US FDA. On the go.

Derrick Gingery and the team bring you a weekly "Drug Fix".

SpotifyApple PodcastsWebsite

More from Pricing Debate

PS-MarketAccess (Premium-2): Why Financial Scammers Are So Successful Targeting Doctors

 
• By Nabil

Doctors are increasingly falling victim to financial scams due to their high incomes, busy schedules, and trust in professional networks. Recognizing the tactics scammers use and the reasons behind physicians’ susceptibility is essential for protecting medical professionals.

Senate Hearing On Ozempic, Wegovy Highlights Concerns About PBMs, International Price Disparities

 
• By Cathy Kelly

Senate HELP Committee chair Sanders trying to broker a deal between Novo Nordisk and the major pharmacy benefit managers that will lead to lower list prices.

‘Alternative' PBMs Say Vertical Integration Unfairly Carving Them Out Of The Game

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

Alternatives to the top pharmacy benefits managers argue health plan-PBM integration is leading to anti-competitive tactics that make it impossible for some employers to switch PBMs.

US FDA Biologics Designation As Price Protection: Lilly Charts New Course With Retatrutide

 
• By Cathy Kelly

An effort to change the US Food and Drug Administration’s conclusion that its obesity treatment candidate retatrutide is a drug and not a biologic could give the product more time with unrestricted pricing in Medicare, among other benefits.

More from Market Access

analysis

Shot Across The Bow? Express Scripts Lawsuit Seeks To Derail Fall-Out From FTC PBM Report

 
• By Cathy Kelly

Pharmacy benefit manager sues Federal Trade Commission claiming chair Khan has orchestrated a campaign against PBMs that is not based in fact.

‘Alternative' PBMs Say Vertical Integration Unfairly Carving Them Out Of The Game

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

Alternatives to the top pharmacy benefits managers argue health plan-PBM integration is leading to anti-competitive tactics that make it impossible for some employers to switch PBMs.

UK MHRA First-Half New Drug Approvals Show Overwhelming Use Of EU Reliance Procedures

 
• By Ian Schofield

The UK regulator approved 16 medicines containing a new active substance in the first half of this year, while the European Commission issued marketing authorizations for 20 NAS-containing drugs.