J&J will list drug prices in TV commercials

TRENTON, New Jersey — Johnson & Johnson says it will start giving the list price of its prescription drugs in television ads.

The company would be the first drugmaker to take that step.

The health-care giant will begin with its popular blood thinner, Xarelto, said Scott White, head of J&J’s North American pharmaceutical marketing. By late March, commercials will give the pill’s list price plus typical outof-pocket costs. The information will appear on screen at the end of the commercial and include a website where people can enter insurance information to get more specific costs.

Without insurance, Xarelto costs $450 US to $540 per month, depending on the pharmacy. About one million Xarelto prescriptions are filled in the U.S. each month.

J&J’s move comes amid growing scrutiny of soaring brandname drug prices — and follows a Trump administration proposal to require list prices in TV ads. The pharmaceutical industry opposes that, arguing few people pay the high list prices. Some people’s outof-pocket costs, though, are based on list prices.

The main drugmaker trade group instead recommends TV ads start listing a website that gives possible out-of-pocket costs and list prices. Last month, Eli Lilly started doing so, in ads for the diabetes medicine Trulicity.