In a significant shift for the US pharmaceutical landscape, President Donald Trump has formally announced in May 2025, a push for direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug sales, a move aimed at reducing drug prices and improving accessibility for US patients. While the DTC model has the potential to lower costs and expand access for many US patients, the long-term impact remains a question. Challenges such as a limited patient awareness and disruption to traditional distributions channels could hinder adoption of the DTC model by pharma companies, says GlobalData.
Wafaa Hassan, Senior Pharma Strategic Intelligence Analyst, states, “The development, closely tied to the administration’s “America First” healthcare agenda and its revived most-favored-nation (MFN) pricing framework, marks a renewed phase of pressure on drugmakers to lower domestic prices while signalling alignment between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry.”
The rollout of the DTC initiative began with Pfizer’s blood thinner “Eliquis”, which was announced on 5 August 2025. It has become the first brand-name drug available through a discounted direct sale platform, offered online at nearly 50 per cent off its typical cash price ($269 for a 30-day supply).
Hassan adds, “The rollout is aimed at providing a tangible benefit for uninsured and/or underinsured patients who typically are most affected by high retail drug prices. This initiative is positioned as part of Trump’s broader drug-pricing strategy, including the proposed MFN policy, which aims to match US prices with the lowest charged in other countries.”
For drugmakers, selling directly to consumers offers a way to support the initiative while keeping some control over how prices are set, rather than leaving it entirely to government rules. As a response to this initiative, pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer have been cautiously cooperative. Pfizer’s CEO, Albert Bourla, stated that drugmakers are ready to implement the DTC model, and additional drugmakers are expected to follow.
Hassan concludes, “From a drugmaker perspective, more challenges will occur following the initiatives such as new operational demands, margin pressure and potential friction with insurers. The likelihood of success will only depend on how well the pharma industry will navigate with these trade-offs in the upcoming months.”