AstraZeneca to Offer Airsupra Direct to Patient

Beginning Oct. 1, AstraZeneca will make available a platform for patients to directly access Airsupra (albuterol/budesonide) or Farxiga (dapaglifozin) for a cash price that is up to 70% off list price. Additionally, patients will also be able to order Flumist (Influenza Vaccine Live, Intranasal) for home delivery through an online platform, AstraZenecaDirect.com.

Airsupra (albuterol/budesonide) has a list price of $489.25 for one inhaler and is an asthma rescue inhaler. It is indicated for adults 18 years of age and older to treat or prevent symptoms of asthma and to help prevent sudden severe breathing problems.

Farxiga (dapaglifozin) has a list price of $599.72 for a 30-day supply. It used to lower blood sugar in people 10 years of age and older with Type 2 diabetes, as well as reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and reduce the risk of kidney damage.

Flumist is a vaccine that is sprayed into the nose to help protect against influenza in people ages 2 through 49 years of age.

“The program complements our existing patient support services and is an important step forward in offering patients the medication they need, when and how they need it,” Joris Silon, U.S. Country President, AstraZeneca, said in a news release.

This move follows a trend of other pharmaceutical companies offering direct-to-patient platforms with cash pay. For example, just yesterday Bristol Myers Squibb announced that beginning in January 2026, it will offer Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) at more than 80% off the current list price to eligible, cash-paying U.S. patients, according to a news release published today. The current list price of Sotyktu is $6,828 for a 30-day supply. Sotyktu is an oral medication used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

This offer builds upon Bristol Myers Squibb’s existing offer of more than 40% off the Eliquis (apixaban) list price. The current list price is $606 for a 30-day supply. Eliquis is already available through the Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance program, which launched this month. The medication is available for purchase through the Eliquis 360 Support website. Eliquis is an oral anticoagulant medication used in children and adults to treat blood clots in the veins of the legs and lungs, also called venous thromboembolism.

Other companies, such as Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Novo Nordisk also offer some of their drugs at a direct-to-consumer discount.

These programs have gained in popularity due to surging drug prices and increased interest in a “consumer-like” healthcare experience. Leaders from IQVIA said in a blog post that there are several drivers of this trend, including price negotiation as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, the executive order on Most Favored Nation pricing and pressures to reform pricing.

Direct-to-patient platforms provide pricing control and transparency, sidestep PBM rebates and provide patients access and additional services for disease awareness.

“The convergence of policy reform and digital health infrastructure presents both a challenge and an opportunity. DTC isn’t just a workaround; it’s a strategic hedge against a future where pricing power is no longer guaranteed while also tapping into rising consumerism,” they wrote in the blog post.