ICYMI: Baldwin Hosts Roundtable in Madison to Discuss Lowering Inhaler Costs and Holding Drug Companies Accountable

MADISON, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin hosted a roundtable in Madison to hear from Wisconsin patients and providers and discuss her efforts to bring down the price of inhalers and hold big drug companies accountable. At Access Community Health Centers, Senator Baldwin heard stories about the reality patients, families, and communities face when cost is a barrier to accessing an inhaler. In Wisconsin, more than 500,000 people have asthma and nearly six percent of the population is estimated to suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

“Big drug companies continually put profits over people and it has very real consequences for Wisconsin families,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, I was able to hear about the impact these high prices are having on people across Wisconsin, and the bottom line is that we need to lower costs for working families and hold big pharma accountable.” 

As a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Senator Baldwin and three of her colleagues launched an investigation into the extremely high prices four large pharmaceutical companies charge for inhalers. The Senators sent letters to the CEOs of the four biggest manufacturers of inhalers sold in the United States – AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, and Teva – which charge between $200 and $600 for each inhaler, typically purchased monthly. Most recently, Senator Baldwin called on the four biggest inhaler companies to stop improperly listing patents for inhalers in an attempt to protect their exclusivity and block out competition that may force them to lower their prices.

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