On the heels of the launch of an online direct-to-patient (DTP) program offering discounted Eliquis to certain U.S. patients, Bristol Myers Squibb is putting Sotyku at the center of its next DTP project.
Starting in January, the newly launched BMS Patient Connect platform will offer Sotyktu at a discount of more than 80% off list price to eligible cash-pay patients in the U.S., with direct shipping to all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the New Jersey pharma announced Thursday.
The plaque psoriasis med retails for $6,828 for a 30-day supply of 6 mg daily doses—the DTP program discount will bring the price down to $950, representing an 86% discount, a BMS spokesperson confirmed to Fierce. The spokesperson did not respond to a question about how many Sotyktu patients the company estimates will be eligible to use the service.
CEO Christopher Boerner, Ph.D., said in the announcement that BMS is “proud” to offer the price cut to make Sotyktu more affordable and accessible.
“We are taking a leading role in removing barriers, providing transparency and lowering out-of-pocket costs so patients in the United States can get the treatments they need—delivered directly to their door, wherever they are in the country,” Boerner said.
In addition to the reduced prices, BMS Patient Connect will offer patient support resources—and, per the company, other BMS medications “appropriate for this model” will be added to the platform in the future.
The planned launch of BMS’ new platform comes as DTP programs are on the rise across the pharma industry, most commonly to offer patients payment and insurance support and medication savings, according to an ixlayer report published this week.
That growing popularity, in turn, comes as President Donald Trump has called for more direct-to-consumer offerings from pharma companies. In July, he sent letters to 17 major pharma CEOs demanding that they enact his “Most Favored Nation” order aimed at bringing U.S. drug costs down to the lowest prices available in other developed countries; among his requests was a call for drugmakers to ramp up their DTC and direct-to-business sales.
Already on the DTP train are Big Pharmas like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, both of which have launched programs in the last year to offer their blockbuster GLP-1 medications at a significant discount to self-pay patients.
Over the summer, BMS teamed up with Pfizer to map out another DTP program, which aimed to make Eliquis more affordable for uninsured, underinsured or self-pay patients. The program went live earlier this month and offers about a 40% discount on the anticoagulant’s $600 monthly list price.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:15 p.m. ET with pricing information from a BMS spokesperson.