Genentech launches direct gross sales program for flu capsule Xofluza

A sign is posted outside a Genentech office in South San Francisco, California, on June 12, 2025.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

RocheGenentech said Thursday it will sell its flu pill Xofluza directly to certain patients at a discount to expand access, becoming the latest company to move into the direct-to-consumer space.

This follows similar moves by other drugmakers seeking to make it easier for Americans to access their medicines, and comes at a time when companies are facing pressure from the Trump administration to lower U.S. drug prices.

Genentech’s new program also launches ahead of flu season, which typically peaks in the winter months. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2024 to 2025 flu season was the most severe in more than a decade.

According to a press release, Genentech’s new program aims to reach uninsured patients, patients with limited insurance coverage or those whose health insurance does not cover the pill.

The company will provide access to Xofluza through three pharmacies with a $50 cash payment option, which is 70% lower than the pill’s current list price before insurance. This includes Mark Cuban’s direct pharmacy Cost Plus Drug Company, Amazon Fuze Health Pharmacy and Alto Pharmacy.

Genentech said same-day home delivery is available in certain markets through the latter two pharmacies. For people who want to use Xofluza for prevention, home delivery by mail is also available at all three pharmacies nationwide.

The pill is a single-dose antiviral treatment for people ages 5 and older, typically taken within 48 hours of flu symptoms appearing. According to some drug pricing websites, Xofluza costs over $150 for one treatment. In addition to the new promotion, Genentech is also offering a coupon that allows eligible patients to pay as little as $35 for their Xofluza prescription, with up to $70 off at most pharmacies.

In July, Trump sent letters to 17 drugmakers urging them to take concrete steps to reduce costs for patients, including by adopting direct-to-consumer sales models for their drugs. The companies had until September 29th to respond. Since Pfizer And AstraZeneca made deals with Trump to lower drug prices.

It was part of his effort to revive a controversial plan called “most-favored-nation treatment” that aims to tie the prices of some drugs in the U.S. to those significantly lower abroad.