Genentech Launches Direct-to-Patient Program for Xofluza, Offering 70% Price Reduction
Key Insights
Genentech announced its first Direct-to-Patient program for Xofluza, offering a $50 cash pay option that is 70% lower than the list price for uninsured and underinsured patients.
The program provides same-day home delivery in select U.S. markets through partnerships with Alto Pharmacy (search), Amazon Pharmacy (search), and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (search).
This initiative addresses the severe 2024-25 flu season, which CDC data shows was the most severe since 2017-18 with an estimated 47-82 million illnesses and up to 130,000 deaths.
Genentech announced its first Direct-to-Patient (DTP) program for Xofluza® (baloxavir marboxil), a single-dose oral antiviral medication, aimed at improving access and affordability for patients who are uninsured, underinsured, or paying out-of-pocket. The program offers a $50 cash pay option that represents a 70% reduction from the list price, addressing barriers to accessing flu treatment during what has been characterized as the most severe flu season in seven years.
Partnership with Three Major Pharmacies
The program operates through collaborations with Alto Pharmacy (search) Powered by Fuze Health, Amazon Pharmacy (search), and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (search), PBC. The $50 cash pay option is available through Alto Pharmacy and Cost Plus Drugs, while same-day home delivery is offered in select markets through Alto Pharmacy Powered by Fuze Health and Amazon Pharmacy. For patients requiring prophylaxis treatment, nationwide mail delivery is available through all three pharmacy partners.
"This new approach will allow for convenient, same-day delivery of our vital flu treatment in select U.S. markets," said Ashley Magargee, chief executive officer of Genentech. "Expanding our distribution for Xofluza will allow us to reach more patients where they are increasingly interested in seeking their medicines."
Addressing Severe Flu Season Impact
The initiative comes in response to significant public health data from the 2024-25 flu season. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the overall burden of influenza for the 2024-25 season was the most severe since the 2017-18 season, with an estimated 47-82 million illnesses, 21-37 million medical visits, 610,000-1,300,000 hospitalizations, and 27,000-130,000 deaths. The severe impact affected all age groups, including children, adults, and the elderly.
Enhanced Affordability Programs
Beyond the direct-to-patient program, Genentech has enhanced its existing Xofluza coupon program for the current season. Eligible patients can pay as little as $35 for their Xofluza prescription with up to $70 off at most pharmacies, including Alto Pharmacy (search) Powered by Fuze Health and Amazon Pharmacy (search), which automatically apply the manufacturer-sponsored coupon to eligible orders.
Xofluza's Clinical Profile
Xofluza represents a first-in-class, single-dose oral medicine with an innovative mechanism of action designed to block viral replication by inhibiting the cap-dependent endonuclease protein (search), potentially reducing the duration of infectiousness and disease. The drug's mechanism of action has demonstrated efficacy against a wide range of influenza viruses, including in vitro activity against oseltamivir-resistant strains and avian strains (H7N9, H5N1) in non-clinical studies.
The medication is approved in more than 80 countries for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza types A and B. In the U.S., Xofluza is approved for treating influenza in people five years of age and older who have been symptomatic for no more than 48 hours and are otherwise healthy or at high risk of developing influenza-related complications. It is also approved for post-exposure prophylaxis in people five years of age and older following contact with a person who has influenza.
Xofluza represents the first innovation in mechanism of action for an influenza antiviral approved in almost 20 years for treatment in children five and older, adolescents, and adults. The drug was discovered by Shionogi & Co., Ltd. and is being developed and commercialized globally through collaboration between the Roche Group (including Genentech in the U.S.) and Shionogi & Co., Ltd.