Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will launch AstraZeneca Direct, an online direct-to-consumer platform designed to create a way for eligible patients to gain access to their prescribed medications at a transparent cash price with home delivery. AstraZeneca Direct is intended to support people living with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease, as well as people seeking flu protection. The platform will enable eligible patients with prescriptions for Airsupra (albuterol/budesonide) or Farxiga (dapaglifozin) to able to use AstraZeneca Direct to purchase these medicines directly for a cash price up to 70% off list price. Consumers will also be able to order the Flumist intranasal live influenza vaccine for home delivery via AstaZeneca Direct. The company says that AstraZeneca Direct is an extension of its existing U.S. patient support offerings, which will continue unchanged for eligible patients. These programs help eligible patients obtain access their prescribed AstraZeneca medication at no or reduced cost. AstraZeneca is tossing its prescription bottle cap into an increasingly crowded vertical of digital retailers and platforms offering consumers online access to low-cost prescription drugs, with the added feature of being a direct-to-consumer provider. The benefit allows Prime members, including Medicare beneficiaries, access to more than 50 commonly prescribed medications that treat conditions like anxiety, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease for $5 per month, regardless of how many prescriptions they need, with free two-day delivery and same-day service in eligible locations.