The news: Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is expanding direct-to-consumer (D2C) drug sales with the launch of a new telehealth platform and a steep cash-pay discount for its psoriasis treatment Sotyktu.

Sotyktu will launch on a new online platform called BMS Patient Connect in January for $950 per month, a decrease of more than 80% on the list price of $6,828, per BMS.

Why it matters: The Trump administration has been pressuring drugmakers to lower prescription costs via tariff threats and an executive order in May that demanded pharma sell D2C and align US drug prices with other developed countries.

• BMS and Pfizer first offered lower cash-pay direct sales of their co-developed blood thinner Eliquis in July, cutting the price from $606 to $346 per month via the Eliquis 360 Support program.
• Also in July, Roche’s CEO said it's considering a D2C model amid discussions with US government officials.
• Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer have already launched D2C platforms, which in the cases of Lilly and Novo include cash-pay discounts for their weight loss medicines.

Zooming out: As part of the push for more direct Rx sales, the Trump administration is reportedly weighing the creation of a government-run website that would let patients search for treatments and connect with platforms selling them, per Bloomberg. One possible name floated for the website is TrumpRx.

Our take: Direct payment discounts for prescription drugs only apply to uninsured patients, who are a smaller percentage of overall patients. Only 10% of Eliquis patients are cash-pay, for instance. However, BMS’ addition of a D2C platform indicates it may offer more D2C drugs—and is another sign that pressure from the Trump administration is working.

The rise of drugmaker telehealth platforms is reshaping the traditional consumer path to prescriptions. Telehealth leads to reduced in-person touchpoints with long-trusted patient advisors such as primary care physicians and pharmacists, putting more responsibility on pharma companies to fill the gap.

The opportunity for pharma is building direct ties to consumers via affordability and convenience, while also navigating Trump administration involvement and regulatory scrutiny.

Drugmakers launching into the competitive telehealth space can own the digital front door by creating simple, intuitive websites that deliver top-notch patient experiences.

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