UPDATE 1-GSK to cap out-of-pocket inhaler costs in US
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March 20 (Reuters) - British pharmaceutical giant GSK said on Wednesday it would cap out-of-pocket costs for all its inhaled asthma and chronic lung disease medicines at $35 per month for eligible patients in the United States, following similar moves by two of its rivals.
GSK said the decision will take effect by Jan. 1, 2025.
The cost cap would apply to all of its asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medicines, including Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, and Trelegy Ellipta, and would apply to patients whose monthly costs currently exceed $35.
US lawmakers in January had criticized the top four inhalers manufacturers — AstraZeneca, Boehringer, Teva Pharmaceuticals and GSK — over high prices, and launched an investigation to look into the prices at which these were sold in the U.S. versus other countries.
The lawmakers claimed in the letter sent to the four companies in January that GSK's Advair HFA costs $319 in the United States but $26 in the United Kingdom.
The company said it has recently reduced the wholesale acquisition cost for Advair Diskus by an average of 50% and Advair HFA by an average of 20%.
Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim said earlier this month they would cap out-of-pocket costs for their inhaled respiratory products at $35 per month in the U.S. from June. (Reporting by Leroy Leo and Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Ravi Prakash Kumar)
