Sandoz tests direct-to-consumer model with Omnitrope launch in US

Sandoz (SDZ: SIX) has launched a direct-to-consumer platform in the USA, taking an unusual step for a global generics and biosimilars manufacturer by allowing self-pay patients to purchase medicines directly rather than through the traditional pharmacy distribution system. The new service, called Sandoz Direct, debuts with Omnitrope (somatropin), the company's biosimilar growth hormone therapy.

The platform is aimed at cash-pay patients, offering a simplified route to obtaining Omnitrope by bypassing some of the intermediaries that typically sit between manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacies and patients. Sandoz said the launch is intended to improve access while reducing complexity for eligible patients seeking treatment outside conventional insurance channels.