From DTP Discounts to SCOTUS Appeals: What This Week Reveals About Pharma’s Next Chapter

The past week has underscored just how dynamic the pharma and biotech landscape has become. From new direct-to-patient models aimed at redefining affordability, to M&A plays for the obesity market, and ongoing legal battles that could reset the rules on U.S. drug pricing—commercial and market access leaders are navigating a shifting terrain where strategy and execution must evolve in real time.

BMS Launches Deep Discount Program to Reach Patients Directly – BMS plots another DTC platform, this one offering Sotyktu at 86% discount to cash-pay patients

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is rolling out a new direct-to-patient (DTP) initiative called BMS Patient Connect, in which the company will offer its psoriasis drug Sotyktu to eligible cash-pay patients at an ~86% discount (reducing the list price of ~$6,828/month down to about $950). The program launches in January and will provide nationwide direct shipping, patient support resources, and could expand to include other BMS medicines that fit the model. This move follows BMS’s earlier venture into DTP with a discounted offering for Eliquis and aligns with a broader trend of pharma companies experimenting with direct-to-consumer pricing and access strategies. 

TruView: BMS’s launch of a deeply discounted DTP channel for Sotyktu underscores that large pharma is increasingly willing to bypass traditional distribution and payor hurdles to reach patients directly. BMS isn’t just addressing affordability—it’s testing whether DTP platforms can capture market share outside the payer gatekeeper system. If successful, the approach could foreshadow a broader shift in commercial playbooks across therapeutic areas.

Pfizer’s Latest M&A Makes $4.9B Play for the Obesity Market—Pfizer amps up push into obesity treatments with $4.9B deal for Metsera

Pfizer has struck a $4.9 billion deal to acquire Metsera, a biotech specializing in obesity treatments. The move reflects Pfizer’s determination to reestablish itself in the fast-growing weight-loss and metabolic disease space, an area increasingly dominated by GLP-1 therapies. By adding Metsera’s pipeline, Pfizer aims to capture a greater share of the rapidly expanding market, where demand continues to surge and competition among major players is intensifying.

TruView: Pfizer’s bold bet on Metsera signals that big pharma is accelerating its pivot toward metabolic and obesity assets, not merely as adjuncts but as core growth engines. Rather than waiting for internal breakthroughs, Pfizer is choosing M&A to fast-track access to clinical-stage obesity assets—aiming to position itself to compete head-to-head with pure-play obesity/GLP-1 developers.

AstraZeneca Takes IRA Drug Pricing Fight to the Supreme Court — With SCOTUS appeal, AstraZeneca makes last-gasp challenge against Medicare price negotiation program

AstraZeneca has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that upheld the Medicare drug price negotiation program created under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The company argues the program undermines patent rights and forces manufacturers into pricing agreements without fair process. This follows failed legal challenges from other pharma players like Novartis, BMS, and J&J.

At the center of AstraZeneca’s push is Farxiga, its blockbuster diabetes and heart drug, which was selected for mandatory price cuts starting in 2026. The stakes are high for AZ, as Farxiga has been a major revenue driver, earning $7.7 billion in the prior year. 

TruView: AstraZeneca’s Supreme Court appeal highlights the industry’s broader concern that the IRA’s negotiation framework may erode confidence in long-term investment returns. From a corporate standpoint, the issue is less about resisting affordability and more about preserving the predictability that underpins R&D investment and shareholder value.

Whether it’s BMS testing new commercial channels, Pfizer buying its way into obesity leadership, or AstraZeneca challenging the limits of government pricing authority, one theme is clear: the industry is rewriting its playbook in response to market, policy, and patient pressures. For organizations across the sector, the challenge is not just to react—but to anticipate where these trends are headed and align strategy accordingly.

The headlines this week are more than news—they’re signals. The organizations that interpret them well and act decisively will shape the next phase of biopharma leadership. TruBio Consulting helps biotech and pharma teams translate market shifts into smart, strategic action.