AstraZeneca has announced that it will launch a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform, AstraZeneca Direct, on October 1, offering certain medicines to cash-paying patients at discounted prices. The initiative will allow eligible patients to order the drugs Farxiga, Airsupra, and FluMist directly to their homes.
Farxiga, prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure, will be available for $181.59 for a 30-day supply. This price reflects a 70% discount off the list price of $600 and aligns with the price Medicare and Medicaid patients are expected to pay beginning in 2026. Airsupra, an asthma medication, will be priced at $249, about half of its $489 list price.
An AstraZeneca spokesperson confirmed the pricing but noted the company has not determined how many patients will be eligible to use the new DTC service. The spokesperson added that AstraZeneca already operates patient support programs that help many patients access medicines at reduced or no cost. “AstraZeneca Direct builds on this and is designed to address a genuine care gap for patients who have a prescription but cannot access Farxiga and Airsupra,” the spokesperson said.
FluMist, a nasal spray influenza vaccine, will also be available through the platform. Its inclusion follows the launch of FluMist Home in August, a service established solely for home delivery of the vaccine.
In announcing the launch, Joris Silon, AstraZeneca’s U.S. country president, said: “We remain deeply committed to improving accessibility, affordability, and driving innovation in healthcare and we are excited to launch AstraZeneca Direct, which will give patients a transparent cash price with the convenience of home delivery.” He noted that the program complements the company’s existing patient support services.
-
AstraZeneca Strengthens Global Market Position
The launch of AstraZeneca Direct comes shortly after Bristol Myers Squibb announced its own DTC platform, BMS Patient Connect, which will begin in January by offering psoriasis drug Sotyktu at an 86% discount for cash-pay patients.
Other pharmaceutical companies have also introduced similar services in recent months. Novo Nordisk provides Ozempic and Wegovy for $499 per month through NovoCare Pharmacy, while Eli Lilly offers Zepbound for as low as $349 per month via its LillyDirect platform.
AstraZeneca stated on Friday that uninsured or underinsured patients with prescriptions will be able to access Farxiga at the reduced price beginning October 1. This matches the rate Medicare and Medicaid patients will pay starting January 1, 2026. Airsupra will be sold at $249 under the same program. The company emphasized that the medicines will be shipped directly to patients’ homes, bypassing pharmacies, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers.
In its statement, AstraZeneca described the initiative as “an important step forward in offering patients the medication they need, when and how they need it.”
Farxiga generated $7.7 billion in global sales in 2024, accounting for 14% of AstraZeneca’s total revenue, while Airsupra brought in $66 million during the same year.
The announcement follows increasing pressure from the Trump administration for pharmaceutical companies to lower drug costs. In a July letter, President Donald Trump directed drugmakers to propose binding commitments by September 29 to reduce U.S. prices to levels seen in other developed countries. He has argued that Americans pay up to three times more for medicines than patients elsewhere. An executive order issued in May also called for increased direct-to-consumer sales.
On Thursday, Trump announced sweeping new import tariffs, including 100% duties on prescription drugs, set to take effect next week. Despite the announcement, major European pharmaceutical stocks showed little change, reflecting expectations that a 15% tariff level agreed in a U.S.-EU trade deal would remain in place.
Other companies, including Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer, have recently rolled out DTC services, such as BMS’s July launch for Eliquis. Drugmakers have historically avoided selling medicines directly to patients, though Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have recently established such programs for their weight-loss therapies Zepbound and Wegovy.
