Investigation into high inhaler prices
(KYMA, KECY/CNN) - Many Americans with asthma and COPD will soon pay only $35 for their inhalers.
Senators Bernie Sanders, Tammy Baldwin, Ben Ray Luján and Tina Smith announced three of the four major manufacturers have agreed to cap the costs.
They are Glaxosmithkline, Astrazeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim.
The announcement comes months after a senate committee launched an investigation into the price of asthma inhalers.
Sanders says the investigation showed americans are paying more than 10 times for the inhalers compared to patients in other developed countries.
A fourth manufacturer, Teva, was also part of that investigation. However, Sanders says Teva has not yet made a commitment to cap its prices but he hopes they will.
More than 20 million people in the U.S. have asthma and many need to use inhalers to help them breathe properly during an attack.