(Reuters) -Bristol Myers Squibb said on Thursday it will sell its psoriasis drug Sotyktu directly to cash-paying U.S. patients at a more than 80% discount to its list price amid pressure from the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump has been pressuring drugmakers to lower the cost of medicines, demanding that they align domestic prices with the lowest levels paid by comparable high-income countries under the “most-favored-nation” policy.
The program would cut Sotyktu’s monthly cost to $950, or about 86% discount to the current list price of $6,828, the company said.
Bristol will start selling the drug through its new direct-to-patient platform BMS Patient Connect from January, the drugmaker said.
The program, which would bypass traditional pharmacy benefit managers and insurers, targets a small percentage of patients on Sotyktu who are uninsured or underinsured.
Sotyktu is approved to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults.
Bristol and partner Pfizer also sell their blockbuster blood thinner, Eliquis, directly to cash-paying patients at a more than 40% discount to its list price.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)
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