AstraZeneca Weighs Direct-to-Patient Drug Sales in US

AstraZeneca Plc may sell some of its medicines directly to patients in the US, joining several other drugmakers that have plans to bypass middlemen or are considering them.

“We are absolutely considering this,” Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot said on a call with reporters after reporting better-than-expected sales and rising profit, spurred by growth in the US.

Not all treatments are suitable for online sales, according to Soriot. Drugs that are under consideration include medicines for diabetes and asthma. Those that are not appropriate include cancer and rare-disease drugs, he said.

Earlier this month, fellow European drugmaker Roche Holding ...