The news: Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is the latest drugmaker to launch a direct-to-consumer (D2C) site allowing patients with prescriptions to buy select drugs directly. The company has so far made three of its drugs available on J&J Direct: diabetes medications Invokamet and Invokana, and blood thinner Xarelto.

Patients taking these medications who lack insurance or face coverage gaps can purchase their drugs directly from J&J at a reduced cash-pay price as a result of a deal struck with the Trump administration. Medications will be fulfilled by J&J pharmacy partners and shipped to patients’ homes.

Why it matters: While some pharma companies’ discounted self-pay drugs cost about the same on platforms like GoodRx as on their own sites, J&J’s new D2C platform appears to offer significantly lower prices.

• For instance, a 30-day supply of Invokana is $225 on J&J Direct compared with about $600 with a GoodRx coupon or at Cost Plus Drugs.
• Invokamet shows the same price gap across the platforms.
• Xarelto, which has a generic alternative, is $591 on J&J Direct but around $1,800 through GoodRx.

However, all three drugs are typically covered by insurance, meaning a limited number of patients would save money, even with J&J Direct’s discounts. And for the uninsured, the hundreds of dollars per month would likely remain prohibitively expensive.

Implications for pharma companies: Just 5% of consumers are extremely or very familiar with pharma companies’ D2C platforms, per EMARKETER’s January 2026 Digital Health survey. Among those who used a brand site to purchase a prescription drug or access telehealth care, most discovered the offering via websites, social media, or search engines.

Drugmakers whose D2C portals offer the best value among cash-pay options should amplify visibility on digital channels, include in messaging who benefits most from their offerings, and keep websites updated with transparent pricing, relevant FAQs, and easy access to additional support resources.

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