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Roche Group’s Genentech has joined the growing ranks of pharmaceutical companies selling prescription drugs directly to patients by making its Xofluza antiviral flu medicine available through online pharmacies.
Genentech’s Direct-to-Patient (DTP) program allows patients to order the single-dose vaccine from Alto Pharmacy, Amazon Pharmacy, and Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs, San Francisco-based Genentech said on Oct. 16. Patients can order the vaccine for $50, a 70-percent reduction from its list price, Genentech said.
Ashley Magargee, the company’s CEO, said the new DTP approach allows convenient, same-day delivery of the vaccine in select U.S. markets. It also reduces the cost for uninsured patients or those with limited coverage.
“Expanding our distribution for Xofluza will allow us to reach more patients where they are increasingly interested in seeking their medicines,” Magargee said.
Genentech’s DTP program follows similar rollouts by drugmakers seeking to put prescription drugs in the hands of U.S. patients at lower costs after President Donald Trump in July called on drug makers to slash their U.S. prices, which are normally much higher than those in other countries.
Trump sent letters to 17 pharmaceutical companies outlining a pathway for them to begin reducing U.S. prices on prescription drugs, an action that stemmed from his May 12 executive order titled “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients.”
Since then, a number of pharmaceutical companies have implemented direct-to-consumer programs. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in September announced it had inked a deal with the Trump administration to make the majority of its drugs available directly to consumers through TrumpRx.gov at an average cost savings of 50 percent, with some as much as 85 percent lower.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in September expanded the DTP program it implemented in July to include its plaque psoriasis treatment Sotyktu at a more than 80-percent reduction from its current U.S. list price. BMS has also said it will offer blood clot treatment Eliquis directly to patients with a price reduction of 40 percent.
Amgen in October said its AmgenNow DTP program for cholesterol medication Repatha shaves almost 60 percent off the U.S. list price. AstraZeneca’s DTC program cuts the cost of asthma medicine AirSupra and diabetes and kidney disease treatment Farxiga nearly 70 percent for eligible patients, the company said in September.
Novartis will launch its DTP program in November for anti-inflammatory Cosentyx at a 55-percent reduction, the company said.
Victor Bultó, president of Novartis’s U.S. operations, said the Swiss-based pharmaceutical company has long recognized the need to reach patients directly.
“The launch of this new platform is a first step as we continue to work toward solutions to provide our net prices more directly to patients and make the healthcare system work better for Americans,” Bultó said.
Genentech’s rollout of its DTP program comes just before the typical months when cases of influenza spike. The 2024–2025 flu season was classified as highly severe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cases of influenza began skyrocketing in mid-November 2024 and peaked in early February 2025. An estimated 47 million to 82 million U.S. residents contracted the flu during the last flu season, the CDC stated.
Xofluza is approved for patients aged 5 years and older to treat both influenza A and B.
