Novo Nordisk inks licensing agreement for oral weight loss drug candidate: Novo wants to find out if patients could benefit from a weight loss drug pill after they use one of its blockbuster GLP-1s.
Eli Lilly adds Alzheimer’s treatments, resources to D2C platform: Lilly is progressing its D2C online offerings even as lawmakers ramp up scrutiny of drugmaker-telehealth partnerships.
Consumers reject AI-written doctor’s notes: Patients' demand for transparent messaging from physicians is a reminder for pharma and healthcare companies to make sure their marketing messages are transparent too.
Amazon tests AI chatbot for consumer health questions: Amazon’s experimental Health AI chatbot could drive engagement with its One Medical and pharma services..
Makary named FDA commissioner, federal health agency layoffs could soon follow: Pharma companies could face slower approvals and more scrutiny of their products, treatments, and prices.
26% of US adults take 4+ prescription drugs daily: This cohort is the most likely to struggle with affording their meds. Pharma marketers need to raise awareness of cost-saving offerings to boost medication adherence among patients.
Self-pay patients can now get discounted Wegovy at retail pharmacies: It’s a smart play on the part of Novo Nordisk to make its GLP-1 available at pharmacies where most consumers still get their prescriptions. Will rival Eli Lilly follow suit?
23andMe files for bankruptcy: A sale could give the acquiring company access to 15 million people’s genetic data. 23andMe’s downfall is a reminder of the risks when tech companies collect sensitive health data and struggle to sufficiently protect it.
Consumers blame Insurers, pharma for the state of US healthcare: Both industries continue to face serious trust issues with consumers that marketing alone won’t fix.
Peloton owns half of all at-home fitness market sales, according to a February Earnest Analytics survey.
Pharmacy deserts increase across the US, mostly in rural areas: More pharmacy closures are expected, which means medication access for many patients will worsen before it improves.
Nurses are still in short supply: There are efforts to improve nurse satisfaction. But more nurses are quitting than being hired, and patients’ trust in quality of care is at risk.
Weight loss drug ads are prevalent on digital media: But these ads are often misleading, and younger consumers are particularly at risk of falling for deceptive weight loss drug offerings.
UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx changes pharmacy reimbursement model: It will pay pharmacies more to dispense brand-name drugs. But that’s not enough to thwart off the Trump administration’s heat on pharmacy benefit managers like Optum.
GLP-1 weight loss drugs aren’t worth their high price tag: A new study gives commercial and government insurers another reason to deny GLP-1 drug coverage.
Google’s AI Overviews for health will include people’s suggestions: It’s a recognition that consumers want to hear from their peers in addition to verified sources of medical information.
Use of digital health tools varies across generations: Here’s what marketers need to know about how different age groups engage with telehealth, connected health devices, and health data-sharing activities.
Novartis, NFL strike corporate sponsorship deal: The partnership likely won’t focus on promoting Novartis products but is still a great opportunity for the drugmaker to build brand awareness.
Pharma industry hopes for drug-price delay dashed again: As the Trump administration pushes ahead with another round of IRA prescription drug-price negotiations, a delay seems unlikely.
Lawmakers investigate telehealth tie-ups with pharma: Despite more scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, we expect even more Big Pharma D2C launches this year.