While on one hand, environmentalists are putting efforts to protect the earth’s ozone layer, on the other, this very concern is worrying doctors for millions of asthma patients as ozone may create disruptions for the patients.
With the new inhalers ramping in, more ozone-friendly version of the hand-held inhalers is creating spot shortages of the devices. With this shift, only a few drug makers are getting the rare chance to introduce brand-name medicine into a market, which are dominated by low-cost generics for a long time.
It is during an asthma attack, the drug ‘Albuterol’ opens constricted airways. Covered by patents, the new ozone-friendly versions are getting sold at a higher price — $30 to $60 each — compared to the older generic ones priced from $5 to $25.
Via: New York Times
