Johnson & Johnson launches website for direct-to-consumer sales

March 4 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has launched a website to sell some of its ‌drugs directly to U.S. patients who either ‌don't have insurance or pay for their drugs out of ​pocket.

The website, called J&J Direct, lists three drugs: diabetes treatments Invokana and Invokamet and blood thinner Xarelto.

The company committed to improving direct access to its ‌drugs as part ⁠of the agreement it reached in January with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration ⁠to cut prices in exchange for exemptions from tariffs.

It also committed last year to investing $55 billion ​in the ​U.S. over four years.

The ​Trump administration has reached ‌agreements with 16 pharmaceutical companies to cut the prices of their medicines for the government's Medicaid program and for cash-paying consumers, aiming to bring U.S. drug costs in line with those in ‌other wealthy countries.

Several drugmakers, including ​Pfizer and Eli Lilly, ​have already launched ​their own direct-to-consumer websites.

The U.S. government ‌has also launched TrumpRx.gov, a ​website with ​discounted prescription medicines as part of its efforts to lower drug prices. Johnson & Johnson is ​not currently selling ‌any medicines on TrumpRx.gov, but the company ​has agreed to participate.

(Reporting by Michael Erman; ​Editing by Lisa Shumaker)