Eliquis & Pharma’s DTC Revolution

💊 Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer are rolling out DTC sales for Eliquis—one of the world’s best-selling blood thinners—at a discount.

🚚 Uninsured and underinsured patients in the US can now get Eliquis shipped for $346/month (that’s 40% off the sticker price). The new Eliquis 360 Support platform bundles in copay assistance and patient info, all in one place.

🤝 Why now? Since the Trump administration is pushing US drug prices to match those in other developed countries and make pricing transparent, Bristol-Myers/Pfizer are answering the call—before new Medicare-negotiated prices hit in 2026.

📉 Will it move the market? Only a sliver of patients buy cash (90%+ use insurance or Medicare), so near-term revenue impact is modest. But the strategic shift is hard to ignore.

Our Take:

🏁 DTC isn’t a fringe experiment anymore—it’s the new table stakes for pharma. Lilly’s and Novo Nordisk’s direct programs for Zepbound, Wegovy, and Mounjaro rewrote the rules last year. J&J, Sanofi, and Merck are already piloting direct digital fulfillment in diabetes, oncology, and vaccines.

📦 Expect more DTC launches, especially for brands with high cash prices, frustrated patients, or payer complexity. The winners? Those who first figure out the logistics, real-time eligibility, and patient support—not just the discount itself.

🔄 Broader impact: DTC arms pharma for the age of price transparency and patient-centered care. It’s about controlling the patient relationship, owning the data, and building lifetime brand loyalty.

💡 Our prediction: By 2027, at least 30% of major branded drugs will offer a direct-to-patient purchase option, reshaping channel strategy and shifting leverage away from PBMs and wholesalers.

#Pharma #DigitalHealth #DTC