Boehringer Ingelheim announces monthly price cap of $35 for inhalers for asthma and COPD patients

Boehringer Ingelheim will voluntarily impose a $35 monthly out-of-pocket cap on patients' out-of-pocket costs for products in its inhaler portfolio.

Announced on March 7, 2024, Boehringer Ingelheim will introduce a $35. He announced his intention to set an upper limit. asthmatic patient or Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)), including those who are underinsured or uninsured.¹

Jean-Michel Boas, president and chief executive officer of Boehringer Ingelheim USA Corporation, said:¹ “The U.S. health care system is complex and often fails for patients, especially those who are most vulnerable. We cannot fix the entire system alone, but we propose solutions to make it more equitable.” We want to do our part to help patients with COPD or asthma who are struggling to pay for their medications. This new program is available at the pharmacy counter. We support patients at predictable and affordable costs. We also continue to advocate for substantive policy reforms to improve our health care system.”

Asthma and COPD are the two most common lung diseases in the United States, and Boehringer Ingelheim's latest information could impact the lives of millions of people in the United States. According to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 15 million people in the United States have COPD, and although mortality rates from COPD are decreasing, the overall prevalence has remained low for nearly a decade. There is no change. The situation is similar with asthma, with 8% of adults and 6.5% of children reported to have asthma in the United States.Based on national estimates, approximately 25 million people, including 5.5 million children, are exposed to the burden associated with this disease.^.2,3,4

According to the American Lung Association, COPD patients pay an average of $4,322 per year in medical costs related to their disease, ranging from $1,681 per year for stage 1 patients to $10,812 per year for stage 3 patients. For people with asthma, the annual medical cost per patient is $3,266, and the cost of asthma in the United States is approximately $56 billion annually, of which $50.1 billion is direct costs.^3,5

Certain inhaler products highlighted as part of the June 1, 2024 price cap in the release from Boehringer Ingelheim include:¹

• Ipratropium bromide HFA (Atrovent HFA) inhalation aerosol
• Ipratropium Bromide and Albuterol (Combivent Respimat) Inhalation Spray
• Tiotropium bromide inhalation powder (Spiriva Handyhaler)
• Tiotropium Bromide 1.25 mcg (Spiriva Respimat) Inhalation Spray
• Tiotropium Bromide 2.5 mcg (Spiriva Respimat) Inhalation Spray
• Tiotropium Bromide and Olodaterol (Stiolto Respimat) Inhalation Spray
• Olodaterol (Striverdi Respimat) Inhalation Spray

In addition to capping out-of-pocket costs for the aforementioned products, Boehringer Ingelheim also noted that it will continue to provide eligible patients with access to free products and a comprehensive patient support program. The announcement also lowers list prices on some inhaler products and also outlines the company's intention to continue to offer significant discounts and rebates off drug list prices to insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and other stakeholders. emphasized.¹

References:

1. _{^{Boehringer Ingelheim limits patient out-of-pocket costs for its inhaler portfolio to $35 per month. Boehringer Ingelheim limits patient out-of-pocket costs for its inhaler portfolio to $35 per month. boehringer ingelheim. March 7, 2024. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/us/press-releases/boehringer-ingelheim-caps-patient-out-of-pocket-costs-inhaler-portfolio.}}
2. _{^{National Trends – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 29, 2024. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/copd/data-and-statistics/national-trends.html.}}
3. _{^{American Lung Association. Overview of COPD trends – Burden. COPD Trends Overview – Burden | American Lung Association. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.lung.org/research/trends-in-lung-disease/copd-trends-brief/copd-burden.}}
4. _{^{Latest national asthma data. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 10, 2023. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm.}}
5. _{^{The cost of asthma to society. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. August 17, 2023. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://aafa.org/advocacy/key-issues/access-to-health-care/cost-of-asthma-on-society/.}}