AstraZeneca Caps Out-of-Pocket Inhaler Costs at $35 Per Month

Pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca announced today that the company will expand the savings program for their entire US portfolio of inhaled respiratory medications. Eligible patients will pay no more than $35 per month, according to a press release.¹

Manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim announced a similar move earlier this month.²

Through this expanded program, more patients living with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—including those who are under- or uninsured—will be able to access these crucial, life-saving medications.

AstraZeneca’s program will begin on June 1, 2024. Eligible patients will pay no more than $35 per month out of pocket for medications including:

• Airsupra (albuterol and budesonide)
• Bevespi Aerosphere (glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate) inhalation aerosol
• Breztri Aerosphere (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) inhalation aerosol
• Symbicort (Budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) inhalation aerosol

On January 1, 2024, the company also “substantially reduced” the list price of Symbicort.

READ MORE: Boehringer Ingelheim to Cap Out of Pocket Inhaler Costs at $35 Per Month

It is estimated that as many as 262 million individuals worldwide are living with asthma, including approximately 25 million individuals in the United States. Those living with asthma are at risk of severe exacerbation regardless of disease severity, treatment adherence, or level of control, underscoring the importance of access to inhaled respiratory medications. There are approximately 10 million asthma exacerbations in the United States each year.

COPD is associated with a similar burden of disease; an estimated 16 million Americans live with the condition, which is the sixth overall leading cause of death in the United States.

“AstraZeneca’s expanded savings programs build on our longstanding commitment to addressing barriers to access and affordability for patients living with respiratory diseases to ultimately help patients live better lives,” said AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot. “We remain dedicated to addressing the need for affordability of our medicines, but the system is complex and we cannot do it alone.”

“It is critical that Congress bring together key stakeholders to help reform the health care system so patients can afford the medications they need, not just today but for the future,” Soriot continued.

READ MORE: Respiratory Resource Center

Reference

1. AstraZeneca caps patient out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month for its US inhaled respiratory portfolio. News release. AstraZeneca. March 18, 2024. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240318005558/en/AstraZeneca-caps-patient-out-of-pocket-costs-at-35-per-month-for-its-US-inhaled-respiratory-portfolio

2. Biscaldi L. Boehringer Ingelheim to cap out of pocket inhaler costs at $35 per month. Drug Topics. March 7, 2024. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/boehringer-ingelheim-to-cap-out-of-pocket-inhaler-costs-at-35-per-month