U.S. Lawmakers Investigate High Costs of Asthma Inhalers

Four major pharmaceutical companies face scrutiny for charging Americans significantly more than consumers in other countries.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and other U.S. lawmakers are investigating the prices charged by four large drug companies for their asthma inhalers, arguing the devices unfairly cost Americans considerably more than what consumers pay in other countries.
The companies under investigation — AstraZeneca, GSK, Teva Pharmaceutical, and Boehringer Ingelheim — charge between $200 and $600 in the U.S. for their inhalers, which are typically purchased monthly, but sell them for a fraction of those prices elsewhere.
For instance, GSK charges $319 for Advair HFA in the U.S., but $26 for the same inhaler in the U.K., while Teva charges Americans $286 for its QVAR RediHaler, which costs $9 in Germany. And Boehringer Ingelheim charges $489 for Combivent Respimat in the U.S., but just $7 in France.
The senators argue that the companies extended monopolies on their products inappropriately, obtaining additional patents close to the end of their period of market exclusivity; shifting patients to newer versions of inhalers with longer patent protection; and entering into agreements with generic manufacturers to stave off competition.
More than 20 million people in the U.S. have asthma, and many rely on inhalers to help them breathe. The senators cited stories of patients having to ration their inhaler use because of the price.