By ANDREW POLLACK
An environmental effort to protect the earth’s ozone layer could mean disruptions for the nation’s millions of asthma patients.
A federally mandated shift to a more ozone-friendly version of the hand-held inhalers used to quell asthma attacks is creating spot shortages of the devices, because production of the older versions has declined even before producers of the new inhalers ramp up fully. The shift is also giving a few drug makers the rare chance to introduce brand-name medicine into a market long dominated by low-cost generics.
The drug at issue is albuterol, the leading prescription treatment used to open constricted airways during an asthma attack. Because the new inhalers are covered by patents, they are commanding high prices — $30 to $60 each, including the drug inside, compared with as little as $5 to $25 for the older generic versions.
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