STAT+: Here’s why there aren’t many cheap, generic versions of pricey inhalers
“This could make it easier for generic firms to circumvent device patents on inhalers and bring their products to the market earlier,” researcher William Feldman said.
U.S. regulators approved dozens of inhalers to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease over a recent 15-year period, but a new study found that generic companies have only twice successfully pursued an established pathway to create lower-cost, rival products.
The paltry outcome was largely blamed on steps that brand-name manufacturers take to forestall would-be competitors, as well as the high bar for regulatory approval. As a result, the study authors argued that a decades-old law designed to encourage generic drug development has failed to foster sufficient competition for inhalers and that reforms are needed to create lower-cost options.
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