Luján, Sanders Applaud Boehringer Ingelheim for Reducing Inhaler Costs to $35

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded the announcement from Boehringer Ingelheim that it would cap patient copays for all of its inhalers at $35 starting on June 1, 2024. The company also announced that it will lower the list price of some of its inhalers.

The announcement comes on the heels of the January 8 HELP Committee investigation, led by Chairman Sanders and Senator Luján, along with HELP Committee members Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), into the four major manufacturers of inhalers, including Boehringer Ingelheim, and their efforts to manipulate prices.

“Earlier this year, I joined my colleagues in an investigation into the outrageously high cost of inhalers. With millions of Americans relying on inhalers every day, families should not be forced to pay extremely high costs compared to those abroad,” said Senator Luján. “I’m proud to announce Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that uninsured or under-insured patients will pay no more than $35 for the inhalers. This move is a significant step in the right direction and I will continue working with Chairman Sanders and my colleagues to continue lowering inhaler costs for the American people.”

“In January, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions that I chair launched an investigation into the outrageously high cost of inhalers that 25 million Americans with asthma and 16 million Americans with COPD rely on to breathe. In my view, Americans who have asthma and COPD should not be forced to pay up to 70 times more for the same exact inhalers as patients in Europe and other major parts of the world are being charged,” said Chairman Sanders. “Today, I am very pleased that some important progress is being made to make inhalers more affordable to patients who desperately need them in our country. Boehringer Ingelheim has announced today that patients in America who are uninsured or under-insured will pay no more than $35 for the inhalers that they manufacture beginning on June 1st of this year. The company has also agreed to reduce the list price of some of its inhalers. These are very positive steps in the right direction.