Senator slams GlaxoSmithKline over pricey inhaler for children

Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is sidestepping its pledge to lower asthma inhaler prices, a key senator charged Wednesday, in the latest effort by Democrats to pressure drug companies on the issue.

Less than two months after GlaxoSmithKline pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for its inhalers at $35 a month, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) is accusing the company of circumventing that vow through a preexisting licensing deal. That agreement discontinued a popular inhaler and replaced it with a more costly generic alternative not covered by most insurance companies.