Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer are offering an insurance-free pathway to access one of their widely used blood thinners.
The pharmaceutical giants launched a new direct-to-patient option for purchasing Eliquis, the brand name for apixaban, through its Alliance’s patient resource Eliquis 360 Support, in an effort to expand patient access.
Starting Sept. 8, eligible U.S. patients that are uninsured, underinsured or seek to pay out-of-pocket, can get the Eliquis prescription at a 40% discount. This means those patients will pay $346 a month in cash instead of the $606 list price. 
The program will provide direct shipping to patients across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
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Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Christopher Boerner said Eliquis is the nation’s No. 1 prescribed oral anticoagulant, medicines that prevent blood clots from forming in the bloodstream.
More than 15 million Americans have been prescribed Eliquis since it was launched. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, the drug earned more than $3 billion in sales.
“This program passes more savings directly to patients and demonstrates our continued focus on identifying innovative solutions that foster the best outcomes for each individual while prioritizing access to care,” Boerner said.
A growing number of healthcare companies are launching self-pay programs to give patients more direct access to treatments through self-pay options as an alternative to traditional insurance coverage.
For instance, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk launched similar self-pay options over the past year for their highly coveted weight-loss and diabetes drugs.
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Lilly announced that consumers can get discounts on Zepbound and Mounjaro – essentially the same drug with different FDA-approved uses – through the company’s self-pay pharmacy, LillyDirect Self Pay Pharmacy Solutions.
Lilly previously said its own self-pay program, which expanded capacity to cover even more vials, removes third-party supply chain entities, allowing patients to access savings directly outside of insurance.
Lilly launched the program in August 2024 and expanded the supply of drugs covered in the program in February.
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To compete in the highly lucrative market, Novo Nordisk announced in March that it was also cutting the cost of its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in half for U.S. patients paying cash through its direct-to-patient online pharmacy, NovoCare Pharmacy.
