Factbox-Pharma companies announce direct-to-consumer sales and price cuts in US

(Reuters) -Several pharmaceutical companies have said they will sell drugs direct to patients in the U.S. and offered discounts following President Donald Trump's calls to bring down drug prices and cut out "middlemen" like pharmacies, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers. The Trump administration announced in September plans to launch a government-run website called TrumpRx.gov in early 2026, offering reduced prices for prescription drugs. U.S. patients currently pay by far the most for prescription medicines, often nearly three times more than in other developed nations. Trump sent letters to 17 major companies in July demanding they slash U.S. prescription drug prices. Below is an overview of pharmaceutical companies that recently announced direct-to-consumer sales and price cuts in the U.S., in alphabetical order: ASTRA ZENECA AstraZeneca and the Trump administration signed a deal on October 10 under which it would sell some medicines at a discount to the government's Medicaid plan in exchange for three years of tariff relief. The deal also envisages up to 80% discounts on some of AstraZeneca's drugs to be sold through the TrumpRx website, CEO Pascal Soriot said at the Oval Office. BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB Bristol-Myers Squibb will cut prices to eligible U.S. patients for blood clot treatment Eliquis and plaque psoriasis drug Sotyktu, with the latter being offered at a more than 80% discount to the list price, it said in September. ELI LILLY  Eli Lilly said in June it would ship the two highest doses of its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound to cash-paying customers on its website starting early August. MERCK Trump and Merck KGaA said on October 16 they had struck a deal under which the German company would sell its fertility treatments, including Gonal-f, Ovidrel and Cetrotide, directly to consumers with a combined discount of 84% off list price if three of them were used in IVF. Trump also said Merck would offer all new drugs launched in the U.S. at the prices it charges in other developed countries. NOVO NORDISK  Novo Nordisk said in August it would offer its diabetes drug Ozempic for $499 per month to eligible cash-paying patients with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. via its own pharmacy, a tie-up with telehealth service GoodRx and other platforms. It had announced in April that it was working with telehealth firms Hims & Hers, Ro and LifeMD to sell Wegovy to cash-paying U.S. customers. PFIZER Pfizer and Trump said in October they had cut a deal in which the U.S.-based drugmaker agreed to lower prescription drug prices in the Medicaid programme to what it charges in other developed countries, in exchange for tariff relief. Pfizer will invest $70 billion in research and development and domestic manufacturing and received a three-year grace period during which its products will not be subject to U.S. tariffs on pharmaceuticals, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said. PhRMA U.S. pharmaceutical lobby group PhRMA said in September it would launch a new website, AmericasMedicines.com, next January to help patients buy prescription drugs directly from manufacturers. ROCHE Roche is considering selling its prescription medicines in the U.S. directly to consumers to bring costs down for patients, as part of talks with the U.S. government, CEO Thomas Schinecker said in July. The model could appeal not only to the uninsured or under-insured, but also to insured patients comparing the cost of accessing drugs through insurers with cash prices, an industry source told Reuters.  SANOFI  French drugmaker Sanofi said in September it would offer a month's supply of any of its insulin products for $35 to all patients in the U.S. with a valid prescription, regardless of insurance status. WISP Women's telehealth provider Wisp said in September it expanded its weight-care offerings to include sale and doorstep delivery of Novo Nordisk's and Eli Lilly's popular drugs without the need for insurance.  It priced Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro at $598, $558, and $489 per month, respectively, with the cost also including consultation, monthly follow-ups, and direct-to-door delivery. ZEALAND PHARMA  Zealand Pharma is considering a direct-to-patient sales model as well as traditional insurer channels for the experimental weight-loss drug it is developing with Roche, its CEO told Reuters in September. (Compiled by Javi West Larrañaga and Emanuele Berro, Editing by Helen Reid and Milla Nissi-Prussak)

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