PhRMA to Launch Website for Direct Patient Access to Cheaper Medicines

The platform, to be called AmericasMedicines.com, will allow drugmakers to list medicines available for direct purchase and connect patients with programs that provide lower prices and fewer barriers to access.

U.S. pharmaceutical lobby group PhRMA will launch a new website in January to help patients buy prescription drugs directly from manufacturers, bypassing pharmacy benefit managers and other intermediaries.

The platform, to be called AmericasMedicines.com, will allow drugmakers to list medicines available for direct purchase and connect patients with programs that provide lower prices and fewer barriers to access.

The move comes amid mounting political pressure to lower drug costs. President Donald Trump has urged pharmaceutical companies to reduce prices and, in July, sent letters to 17 major drugmakers demanding they cut U.S. prescription drug prices to match levels in other developed nations. The companies were given until September 29 to respond with binding commitments.

Bloomberg News earlier reported that the White House is also considering a government-run website, possibly named TrumpRx, to help Americans find cheaper medicines.

PhRMA did not provide additional details about its upcoming platform.

The direct-to-consumer approach is gaining traction across the industry. Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca have all introduced platforms for select drugs in recent months.

On the same day, Novartis announced a direct-to-patient platform in the U.S., set to launch on November 1. The company said it would sell select units of its anti-inflammatory drug Cosentyx at a 55% discount off list price for cash-paying patients. Novartis added that the platform will later expand to include other products and may incorporate a direct-to-employer model.

PhRMA also stated that drugmakers have announced $500 billion in investments in U.S.-based manufacturing and infrastructure. These are projected to generate $1.2 trillion in economic output and create more than 100,000 jobs.

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