(Reuters) -Boehringer Ingelheim will cap out-of-pocket costs for the company's inhaler products for a chronic lung disease and asthma at $35 per month starting June 1, the German drugmaker said on Thursday.
The company said its new program will dramatically decrease costs at the pharmacy counter for patients, including those who are uninsured or underinsured.
High healthcare costs in the United States are a grave concern for lawmakers and politicians, and lowering which is a key part of President Joe Biden's 2024 re-election campaign.
"Conversations about prescription drug prices continue, and we've listened. We think it is important to come forward with solutions now that will benefit patients, while we also continue work with policymakers and other stakeholders on broader system reform," the company said.
Boehringer will also decrease the list price on some of its inhaler products, the company said, without providing further details.
The company has cut out-of-pocket costs for its full range of inhaler products including Atrovent, Combivent Respimat and Spiriva HandiHaler, used to treat respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease that commonly affects smokers.
COPD, or "smoker's lung" which damages the lungs progressively, affects around 16 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June last year approved the first generic version of Boehringer's Spiriva HandiHaler by Indian drugmaker Lupin Ltd.
Spiriva, once a top-selling lung disease drug for controlling symptoms of COPD, has been under pressure from generic competition in Europe and rival drugs such as GSK Plc's Advair and Roche's Xolair, among others.
Boehringer was accused in a federal lawsuit in Boston on Wednesday of improperly submitting patents to the FDA to delay generic competition and inflate prices for its lung disease drugs Combivent Respimat and Spiriva Respimat.