But pharma companies are missing the mark with their digital UX—doctor’s satisfaction ratings are dropping as they use digital to reach pharma more.
35 state attorneys general are pushing Meta for tighter enforcement of its advertising policies amid a “surge of misleading marketing for weight loss products” on Facebook and Instagram. The state AGs’ letter will surely get the attention of the FDA, meaning telehealth marketers must ensure they aren’t specifically promoting GLP-1s to people who don’t meet the clinical criteria or using messaging that body shames. Meanwhile, social media companies and advertising platforms need to strictly enforce transparency disclosures on AI-generated ads while closely reviewing all weight loss drug promotions, given the risks of misleading claims and unrealistic expectations.
Nearly half of US adults say TV and streaming drug commercials feel out of touch and downplay serious side effects.
Lilly and Novo gear up to market oral obesity drugs, expected to reshape the growing market with a less-invasive way to meet weight loss demand in pharma.
Over one-third of Gen Z (39%) and millennials (34%) who have used genAI tools to check symptoms report that they would put off seeing a doctor if the AI told them their issue was low-risk, according to an October 2025 poll from The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com conducted by SurveyMonkey. Overrelying on AI for medical guidance carries real risk, especially as models are still maturing and sometimes produce faulty information. AI companies should add explicit in-chat disclaimers against being used as a replacement for medical care and strengthen guardrails to block unvetted or potentially harmful health advice.
The FDA sent warning letters to four major retailers that continued to sell baby formula linked to a botulism outbreak after the products were recalled in early November. As retailers move deeper into health and wellness, their daily operations need to support the image they’re trying to build.
Prominent clinicians and healthcare experts report a growing trend of bad actors using AI to impersonate them online and push unsafe products or unreliable medical information, according to a recent New York Times article. AI deepfakes may further discourage doctors from having their images and voices online. Social platforms must reassure healthcare creators about how they detect AI-driven scammers, enforce impersonation policies, and respond swiftly to deepfake reports.
Digital health company Noom is rolling out a new program that will combine microdoses of GLP-1 medications with at-home testing. With brand-name GLP-1 prices dropping, telehealth players in the weight loss drug space need a new strategy to attract and retain members. The GLP-1 microdosing wave gives them that opportunity, opening access to far more patients beyond those who are overweight and obese. With similar capabilities now offered by D2C healthcare companies like Hims, Noom, Ro, and WeightWatchers, differentiation will hinge on cost and accessible coaching/support—especially guidance through untested areas like microdosing weight loss drugs.
Healthcare AI startup OpenEvidence is aiming to raise $250 million in equity funding, amping its valuation to $12 billion, which doubled from just two months ago, per The Information. OpenEvidence’s surge in valuation underscores physicians’ growing demand for AI tools that surface credible, peer-reviewed information.
AI scribe tools that transcribe doctors’ notes save doctors only a minimal amount of time, according to a recent UCLA Health study. Healthcare AI scribe developers already face high provider churn due to a crowded market and the ease of switching between competing products. They must now prove their product's value extends beyond time savings (modest or significant) to include areas like improving patient care, enhancing the patient experience to drive retention, or ensuring more accurate clinical notes for billing and coding.
EHR giant Epic is being sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who alleges the company blocks competition and restricts access to patient health data. The lawsuit adds to recent public and private sector signals that call for hospitals and patients to have better access to health data. While Paxton might have political motives outside of the health tech realm the lawsuit’s outcome could open the market to more Big Tech and digital health/AI players to create solutions that strengthen consumers’ and providers’ ability to access and share medical data across entities.
The majority (61%) of clinicians are very concerned about medical misinformation online, per an Inlightened survey in October. Clinicians see misinformation as a growing threat, but many need help stepping into the digital conversation.
Pharma TV advertising spending totaled $5.4 billion through November, surpassing 2024’s full-year spending of $5.1 billion, according to iSpot.tv data. Pharma advertisers are increasingly reallocating budgets to more targeted digital channels, but linear TV will remain.
Hims & Hers is officially bringing its subscription weight loss program to the UK. But rising prices of some GLP-1 medications in the UK may lower the incentive for consumers to sign up for a membership with a telehealth company offering prescriptions.
Millennials accounted for nearly half (46%) of all patient bookings on Zocdoc’s platform this year, per Zocdoc’s just-released annual report on consumer booking behaviors. Healthcare providers need to ensure that their online business profiles are updated, lean into digital tools for pre- and post-visit communication, and create social media content that offers information and guidance on caring for loved ones.
Eli Lilly’s next generation weight loss drug delivered significant weight reductions in new study data, outperforming its currently approved Zepbound. Lilly’s results signal a new phase for obesity drugs where weight loss can reach up to 30%, but side effects and clinical risks also rose alongside the results.
More than half (53%) of US physicians plan to significantly increase AI use over the next year, per a DHC Group and Sermo study in November. As physicians increasingly rely on AI for support, the information they encounter will be shaped by the quality of the science-based content that AI systems will surface.
Approved vaccines for infants to protect against a serious respiratory disease called RSV are getting new scrutiny from federal health agency officials, according to Reuters. Heightened federal scrutiny adds uncertainty for RSV manufacturers at a time when the childhood vaccine environment is already polarized.
Structure Therapeutics’ experimental obesity pill led to an average 12.1% weight loss after 36 weeks on a 120 mg daily dose, which stacks up well against competitors. Newcomers to the weight loss drug market still face key disadvantages, even with strong trial results. For smaller weight loss drug developers that may not have the risk appetite or resources to compete with larger players, the best way to cash in on a market dominated by two giants may be to pursue a partnership or acquisition.
More than half (54%) of US adults have heard about TrumpRx, but only 20% know what the administration’s planned website for direct-to-consumer drugs is about, per a recent BuzzRx report. Pharma companies see TrumpRx as a new way to reach consumers directly, but public awareness of the upcoming platform remains low.