FILE - In this photo illustration lie two asthma inhalers in a handbag on Feb. 3, 2021 in Bonn, Germany. (Photo by Ute Grabowsky/Photothek via Getty Images) Concerns are growing over a common asthma drug – already in short supply – after one of the last major manufacturers in the U.S.
shut down its operations.Albuterol is used to prevent and treat difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness caused by lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to the National Library of Medicine.
It’s one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the U.S. and has been on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s shortage list since last fall.RELATED: Drugmaker Eli Lilly says it's cutting insulin prices by 70%In February, Illinois-based pharmaceutical company Akorn Operating Co.
abruptly closed all of its operations, including its out-of-state locations in New Jersey, New York and Switzerland, and laid off hundreds of workers amid plans to file for bankruptcy.The company developed, manufactured and marketed a wide array of branded and generic prescription drugs, including medication like Albuterol, as well as eye drops, injectables, and others, according to its website.