Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan has initiated an inquiry into GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) decision to pull its Flovent HFA asthma inhaler from the U.S. market. The product, which was commonly used in pediatric asthma treatment, was withdrawn in January 2024. Hassan announced the investigation on Friday, raising concerns about the consequences of the removal, including an increase in asthma-related hospitalizations and fatalities.
In formal letters addressed to GSK and Prasco Laboratories, which distributes the authorized generic version of Flovent HFA, Hassan requested internal records. These included documents explaining the decision to withdraw the medication, as well as financial and health data related to the move. She asked both companies to provide internal pricing details, rebate information, and communications with regulators by July 18, 2025.
Hassan chairs the Senate Finance Committee’s Health Care Subcommittee and has urged GSK to resume distribution of Flovent HFA. She raised concerns that the inhaler’s removal had negatively impacted accessibility, particularly for low-income individuals. According to Hassan, GSK’s switch to a more expensive authorized generic version had reduced affordability and contributed to coverage issues with insurance providers.
In the correspondence, Hassan stated that the shift may have enabled GSK to avoid significant rebate payments to Medicaid, a federal program that insures 71 million low-income Americans. A Johns Hopkins analysis cited by Hassan estimated that GSK’s decision saved the company $367 million in Medicaid rebate obligations in 2024, while adding more than $550 million in costs to the program. Families reportedly experienced a rise in inhaler prices, with some paying up to $150 for the generic version, compared to $10 previously for the branded Flovent HFA.
Hassan wrote, “Children across the country have faced life-threatening medical challenges and families have grappled with more expensive or less effective alternative medications — when these options are available at all.”
She also noted that both GSK and Prasco had failed to maintain affordability for consumers, which she linked to insurance denials and treatment delays. In a previous communication with Hassan in May 2023, GSK responded by saying that Prasco manages pricing of the authorized generic. However, Hassan maintained that both entities share responsibility for ensuring access and affordability.
In response to mounting scrutiny, GSK announced last year that starting January 2025, it will place a $35 per month cap on out-of-pocket costs for all its inhaled asthma and chronic lung disease medications in the U.S. This decision came amid criticism from legislators regarding high domestic pricing relative to international markets, and after lawmakers began investigating inhaler pricing practices.
