The data: Healthcare and pharma marketers will spend $2.63 billion on B2B digital ads this year, up 15.2% YoY, per our updated forecast. Spending will continue rising, though at a slower pace, before reaching $3.13 billion in 2028.

Driving the trend: Pharma companies are shifting their approach to physician outreach away from traditional sales-rep interactions and toward programmatic, AI, social media, email, and other digital channels. As medical research advances rapidly, providers rely on pharma for clinical trial data, prescribing information, efficacy updates, and safety profiles. Delivering that content online lets busy clinicians engage on their own schedules, particularly where they increasingly research medicines and treatments, including physician-only communities, medical journal websites, and social media platforms.