The news: AstraZeneca plans to invest $50 billion in US drug manufacturing and R&D by 2030. The big takeaway: Pouring billions into US builds isn’t an option for most generic drugmakers that operate on thin margins. This could result in shortages since companies that make generics may have to choose between exiting the market once tariffs take effect and raising prices when possible. Other players in this space might find it most beneficial to wait it out and see if Trump changes course yet again on tariff policy.
The news: Rare disease drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics is pausing sales of a muscular dystrophy drug, Elevidys, after initially refusing an FDA request to halt sales due to safety concerns. The takeaway: Elevydis’ path to FDA approval was unconventional, but deemed appropriate at the time for a devastating disease. The new deaths and now paused sales serve as caution for both the FDA and drugmakers to balance the emotional sway of unmet medical needs with complete and continued clinical research.
The news: Insurance premiums are set to rise by 15% next year for the people who buy through the Affordable Care Act, per a new KFF analysis. Our take: While the Trump administration is eliminating the ACA tax credits, states where the president won the election account for 88% of ACA enrollment growth since 2020, per KFF research in April. When premium increases roll out across the ACA marketplace, and spillover into higher costs for hospitals and healthcare services, we expect plenty of political finger-pointing over fault, but little agreement on ways to improve US healthcare and keep consumers out of medical debt.
The trend: Consumer perception of healthcare providers worsens when they find out the doctor uses AI, according to research recently published in JAMA Network. Our take: Healthcare is inherently emotional, and many consumers might be under the impression that their doctor is using AI as a shortcut. In reality, the opposite might be true. Physicians use AI to make them more efficient and free them up to spend extra time with patients. But language and details matter, and providers and marketers must ensure this is reflected in their messaging.
The trend: People who actively use patient portals are less likely to skip an upcoming doctor’s appointment than those without portal accounts, according to recent research from Epic that analyzed 1.6 billion visits in 2024. Our take: Engaging with a patient portal is important, but it isn’t a major needle mover for appointment no-shows. Strategies such as helping coordinate transportation, sending text and email alerts, and communicating no-show fees could play a bigger role in eliminating costly no-shows.
The news: Abbott and Johnson & Johnson reported lower-than-expected costs from tariffs during Q2 earnings this week. Our take: It seemed like medical device companies would be the hardest hit by tariffs initially. So the positive spin from Abbott and J&J is encouraging. But tariffs are still costly. While device and diagnostic companies talk broadly about plans to mitigate tariff effects, raising prices for healthcare systems and consumers isn’t off the table.
The news: An FDA panel endorsed the removal of black box warnings on hormone therapies used for menopause. For context: Black box warnings are the strongest safety warning issued by the FDA for Rx drugs and highlight serious or life-threatening risks. Our take: Removing the black box warning could encourage pharma brands to not only develop more treatments but also market hormone therapy more. While personal risks and benefits still need to be weighed with a doctor, the change may result in more women on treatment.
The big idea: Pharma marketers should pivot away from TV advertising even if the government doesn’t implement a ban on D2C drug ads. Our take: Pharma is a unique industry that still benefits from linear TV. However, more drug brands should consider D2C online platforms that serve as quasi substitutes to TV commercials at a much lower cost, plus channels like influencer partnerships.
The news: Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb will launch a direct-to-patient channel to sell their blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis at a reduced cash-pay price. Our take: Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb have anticipated the Eliquis patent loss and sales drop for years as part of the typical branded drug cycle. We see the new direct sales platform launch not as a play for new revenues, but rather a negotiating nod to the Trump administration. Only 10% of Eliquis patients are uncovered by insurance, so it’s a small market to court as a revenue-driving ploy. However, Trump has made it clear he’s open to using any levers possible to force lower drug prices, pushing pharma companies to offer good faith options and concessions.
The news:. A new report reviewed by STAT reveals that Pfizer and Eli Lilly pay their telehealth provider partners upwards of a few million dollars. Our take: Drugmakers in the D2C telehealth market likely won’t be too worried about the report’s findings. It will be difficult for regulators to prove that a pharma company’s payment to a telehealth partner is directly tied to prescription volume. Drug brands will need to boost awareness of their D2C offerings to justify the price they pay telehealth firms, however.
The news: Connecticut plans to ask the federal government to allow it to contract for generic GLP-1 drugs for state employees and Medicaid patients. Our take: While other HHS secretaries have resisted trying to use Section 1498, RFK Jr. has shown a willingness to challenge established precedent. Even if RFK doesn’t respond to Connecticut’s plea, the broad enthusiasm for workarounds to lower GLP-1 costs—the Connecticut law sponsor said both red and blue state officials have reached out—could be a negotiating tool with drugmakers.
The trend: Physicians are ramping up use of AI for pharma-related queries on medications, treatments, and drug interactions. But usage of AI trails search, according to a new Bain & Company. report. The big takeaway: Doctors trust search engines over AI for drug information—for now. The convergence of the two tools via AI Overviews on Google could lead to declining confidence in search results. The winner in securing physician trust could be clinical-specific AI tools like the widely used UptoDate or the emerging OpenEvidence, which brands itself as a ChatGPT for doctors.
The news: Linear TV—already struggling amid the rise of digital—is at risk as US leaders across parties push for a crackdown on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical ad market. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pursuing policies that would require advertisers to disclose drug side effects more transparently or risk losing the ability to deduct ad spending from their taxes, per Bloomberg. Our take: Restrictions on pharma advertising would isolate linear TV from omnichannel budgets and put it at a greater disadvantage against more data-rich platforms, accelerating the shift to digital.
The news: UnitedHealth Group has been engaging in a series of legal tactics to silence some of the company’s loudest critics, according to a recent NYT report. Our take: UnitedHealth is more focused on defending its business than acknowledging people’s concerns and offering solutions. This won’t do anything to help its brand reputation—but that probably isn’t a major concern for UnitedHealth right now. Similar to drugmakers, health insurers recognize that healthcare is not like a typical D2C industry, in which consumer experience is the most important measure of success.
The news: Rush University System for Health in Chicago is launching a subscription health model for patients seeking virtual urgent care. Our take: Legacy health systems are playing catch-up to D2C healthcare companies, and likely can’t offer a better customer experience. Telehealth is now a commodity, and success in the subscription healthcare space could come down to factors such as easy access to in-demand drug categories (e.g., GLP-1s, sexual health meds) and spending on digital channels such as social media to create brand awareness and more effectively reach younger customers.
The news: Weight loss drug prescribing for children and teens increased significantly after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended the medications’ use, per a new Harvard study. Our take: Word-of-mouth recommendations and testimonials on social media are driving weight loss drugs’ popularity with young people. GLP-1 marketers have an opportunity to provide medically responsible, but social friendly and engaging content by partnering with influencers, creating behind-the-science video content, and developing edutainment FAQs for interested young consumers.
The news: Prescription drugmakers spent $2.97 billion on national TV advertising in the frist half of 2025, an increase of 12.2% YoY, per iSpot.tv. The takeaway: Prescription drugmakers went against the current trend—most other industries decreased linear TV spending in the first half of the year, per iSpot. But traditional TV viewing audiences are a prime audience for drugmakers. We forecast 52.8% of TV viewers will be age 65 and older this year, the only age demographic to increase. It makes sense for pharma marketers to focus spending on key audiences, driving awareness and encouraging them to ask their doctors for their brands.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the weight-loss drugs revolution: how they work, their efficacy, how they became so popular, and how they’re reshaping multiple industries. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson and Senior Analysts Rajiv Leventhal and Beth Snyder Bulik. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The news: Pharma companies can earn a speedier path to approvals for new drugs if they agree to lower US prices to global levels. The takeaway: Pharma companies are on board with faster drug approvals and higher global prices, but they still make the bulk of their profits on US sales. By adopting good faith balanced stances—advocating for fairer pricing, but highlighting innovation—pharma can notch wins with the administration and consumers.
The trend: Investments in AI-powered digital health startups drove an increase in total VC funding for the sector throughout the first half of 2025, according to a recent Rock Health report. The big takeaway: Making AI an essential element of your digital health platform isn’t a differentiating factor anymore—it’s a requirement to draw investor interest and customer adoption. To stand out, healthcare AI players and their marketers should demonstrate the real-world impact of their tech through published research and case studies. And they must be careful not to overstate their AI capabilities, as doing so will drive potential and current customers to a competitor’s solution.