Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has expanded its direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings to include its autoimmune drug, Sotyktu (deucravacitinib).
The medication, which is used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, will soon be available through the BMS Patient Connect platform, which the company will launch in January 2026.
Via this sales platform, BMS will offer Sotyktu to eligible, cash-paying patients for more than 80% cheaper than the drug’s current list price, which BMS claims will make its medicines “more accessible and affordable for patients living with serious conditions”.
This will be welcome news for Americans taking the drug, as a 30-day supply will set them back $6,677.77 without insurance.
In a 25 September statement, BMS CEO and board chair Christopher Boerner noted that the pharma set out to introduce the Patient Connect platform to “remove treatment barriers, provide transparency and lower out-of-pocket costs”, which the company claims will help patients across the US “get the treatments they need”.
The Patient Connect platform is not the only DTC initiative that BMS has introduced in recent months, as its debut closely follows the launch of its alliance programme with Pfizer for direct sales of their anticoagulant, Eliquis (aixaban).
Through the Eliquis 360 Support scheme, patients have direct access to the factor Xa inhibitor for over 40% less than its current list price in July 2025.
This could save uninsured or underinsured patients approximately $240 per month, as the drug’s standard list price currently sits at $606 for a 30-day supply.
DTC model grows in popularity
While BMS is the latest big pharma player to jump on the DTP bandwagon, this trend has been ongoing in the industry for some time, with notable forces such as Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk also taking the leap into direct sales.
This boost in big pharma interest is at least partly driven by US President Trump’s Most Favoured Nation (MFN) policy, which aims to get US drug prices to similar levels to comparable developed countries across the pond.
Moving forward, GlobalData healthcare analyst Cyrus Fan believes that the DTP model may become standard practice – especially for popular drugs. However, he is sceptical about the savings that such platforms can offer consumers.
Fan said: “The price cut seen through DTC platforms may make uninsured patients feel like they are getting a great deal on available therapies, but the reality is that health insurance coverage for the same drug will usually offer the same discount or lower.”
However, he noted that the move towards DTC sales could be a positive for pharma as the industry looks to “make the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies less important for drug discounts”.
PBMs are often considered the middlemen in the drug pricing process, playing a key role in negotiating discounts and rebates for insurance companies and other clients.
While such platforms benefit consumers and pharma companies alike, there may be hurdles associated with their uptake.
These primarily centre around the lack of patient awareness of the existence of these platforms, as well as the disruption they may cause to existing distribution channels.
