• by Tanya Gazdik , December 29, 2023

Consumers are just now learning that a device that helps them to breathe is being pulled from the market on Jan. 1.

Manufacturer GSK is discontinuing the branded asthma inhaler Flovent, and an “authorized generic” version will be offered instead. 

“Millions of Americans could soon be forced to live without life-saving medication after a pharmaceutical giant announced it would pull its drug from store shelves,” according to the Daily Mail. “Around 27 million Americans suffer from asthma -- and the majority rely on Flovent to prevent attacks that could leave them hospitalized.”

Physicians say the authorized generic will work just as well as the branded drug, but it doesn’t appear to be covered as widely by insurers.

“That may mean patients will have to obtain new prescriptions and sort out coverage hurdles at the height of respiratory virus season,” according to CNN. “Doctors are urging patients to take action now to ensure they’ve got their medicine heading into the new year and advocacy groups have been trying to get the word out."

But there’s a deeper story here having to do with the lack of insurance coverage for the replacement, according to CNN.

“Experts who follow the industry both on Wall Street and in academia, though, point out GSK is making the switch at precisely the time a change in Medicaid rebates could cause the company to have to pay large penalties because of price increases on Flovent over a number of years,” per CNN.

Since 2014, the price of Flovent has risen by around 47%, according to Fast Company. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics says discontinuation could lead to higher co-pays and the need for prior authorizations that delay access.

“[Pediatricians] believe the discontinuation highlights the fact that some insurers only cover breath-actuated inhalers, which aren’t recommended for children suffering from eosinophilic esophagitis,” per Fast Company. “They also believe they can be difficult for younger children with asthma to use.”

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show in 2021, the latest data available, 9.8 million people experienced an asthma attack, including 1.8 million kids and 8 million adults, according to the Daily Mail. 

“This medication has been the most commonly used inhaled medication for the past 25 or 30 years,” Dr. Robyn Cohen, a pediatric pulmonologist at Boston Medical Center, told CNN. “The fact that it’s being discontinued is going to be a huge shock to the system for patients, for families and for doctors.”