Genentech launches direct to consumer program for flu pill Xofluza
A sign hangs outside the Genentech office in South San Francisco, California, on June 12, 2025.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
RocheGenentech said Thursday it will sell the flu pill Xofluza directly to select patients at a discount to expand access, becoming the latest company to enter the direct-to-consumer space.
This follows similar moves by other drugmakers to simplify the way Americans get their medications and comes as the companies face pressure from the Trump administration to lower US drug prices.
Genentech’s new program is also being launched ahead of flu season, which usually peaks in the winter months. The 2024-2025 flu season was the most severe in more than a decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
According to the statement, Genentech’s new program aims to reach uninsured patients, those with limited coverage or those whose plans do not cover the pill.
The company will provide access to Xofluza through three pharmacies with a $50 cash payment option; This is 70% lower than the pill’s current list price before insurance. This includes Mark Cuban’s direct-to-consumer pharmacy, Cost Plus Drug Company. Amazon Pharmacy and Fuze Health’s Alto Pharmacy.
Genentech said same-day home delivery is available through the latter two pharmacies in select markets. For those who wish to use Xofluza as a preventive treatment, home mail delivery is also available through three pharmacies nationwide.
The pill is a single-dose antiviral treatment for people ages 5 and older, usually taken within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms. A single treatment of Xofluza costs more than $150, some say drug price sites. Along with the new effort, Genentech is also offering a coupon that allows eligible patients to pay as little as $35 for a Xofluza prescription, offering discounts of up to $70 at most pharmacies.
Trump sent letters to 17 drug manufacturers in July urging them to take certain steps to reduce costs for patients, including launching direct-to-consumer sales models for their drugs. Companies had until September 29 to respond. Since then, Pfizer And AstraZeneca They signed deals with Trump to lower drug prices.
It was part of an effort to revive a controversial plan called the “most favored nation” policy, which aimed to tie prices of some drugs in the United States to significantly lower ones abroad.
