Amgen Slashes Cholesterol Drug Repatha Price by 60% for U.S. Cash Buyers

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Biopharmaceutical company Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) said Monday it has begun selling its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha directly to U.S. consumers at a sharply reduced price, marking a significant response to federal pressure to curb prescription drug costs.

Through its new AmgenNow portal, the company will offer Repatha for $239 per month, nearly 60% below its current list price. The offer applies only to patients who pay cash and do not use insurance. Amgen said the price reflects the lowest level the company currently receives for the medicine in any high-income market.

Repatha, an injectable therapy that targets the PCSK9 protein to help reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, generated $2.2 billion in global sales last year. It is typically prescribed for patients who do not respond well to statin drugs.

The company said nearly all U.S. patients with private health insurance already have access to Repatha, often paying monthly co-pays as low as $15 after rebates and manufacturer discounts. However, Amgen acknowledged that uninsured patients and those unable to navigate insurance approval processes have faced significant affordability barriers.

“Insurance complexity has made it difficult for some patients to access brand-name therapies,” the company said in a statement. “AmgenNow provides a simplified pathway for patients who prefer to purchase directly.”

While the new option bypasses prior authorization requirements and step-therapy rules that many insurers impose, health policy experts say direct cash programs are unlikely to reach large numbers of patients. “Offering brand-name drugs directly to consumers at several hundred dollars a month may only help a very small group of people who can afford cash prices,” said Aaron Kesselheim, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Amgen was among 17 pharmaceutical companies that received a letter from President Donald Trump in July, demanding that drugmakers align U.S. pricing with other developed nations or face potential 100% tariffs on branded medications. The administration urged companies to create direct-to-consumer sales channels and invest more in domestic operations.

The White House has said it plans to introduce TrumpRx, a federal website that will allow consumers to locate and compare direct-purchase options from drug manufacturers. Amgen confirmed that its AmgenNow platform will be listed on TrumpRx when it launches early next year.

Shares of Amgen fell 1.5% on Monday following the announcement. The company said it plans to expand AmgenNowto include additional medications over time.

Separately, prescription savings platform GoodRx said it has partnered with Amgen to make Repatha available at the same $239 price through more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies, offering consumers another way to access the treatment.

Last week, Pfizer Inc. announced similar measures, agreeing to reduce prices for Medicaid and introducing a direct-sales channel for certain drugs at international benchmark levels. Industry analysts expect other major pharmaceutical firms to follow suit as pricing transparency initiatives gain momentum.

Repatha was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2015. Amgen recently reported new clinical trial data showing that the drug lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack and death, even among patients with no prior cardiac history.

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