CAHC’s Joel White spoke with Inside Health Policy about PhRMA’s announcement that it will launch a direct-to-patient drug sales website, AmericasMedicines.com, in response to President Donald Trump’s “most favored nation” policy.
Joel White, president at Council for Affordable Health Coverage pharmaceutical told IHP companies are increasingly offering cash-pay discounts that provide “significant” savings for consumers. He pointed to Bristol Myers Squibb’s recent Sotyktu announcement, saying that the discounted cash price for Sotyktu is lower than the drug’s price in some foreign markets, effectively undercutting the MFN level in certain cases.
Bristol Myers Squibb will offer its plaque psoriasis drug Sotyktu at $950 for its 6mg daily dose for a 30-day supply — a steep 86% discount off the list price.
White cautioned that the U.S. drug market is complex and prices vary widely across products, but said the key takeaway is that industry initiatives are now giving consumers substantial savings compared with what they would normally pay.