Approximately 35% of US adults report using AI tools to learn about and manage aspects of their health and wellness, according to a recent study conducted by The Vitamin Shoppe and Talker Research. As more people grow to trust AI for health information, they may move away from social media and influencer-driven health content that they have never found very reliable. Consumers will increasingly value AI that links to verifiable sources over social videos that often lack accountability. Healthcare and pharma marketers shouldn’t make any drastic pivot away from social media, but should closely track shifts in how consumers engage with social and influencer health content.

Health insurer Highmark Health will cover the cost of Noom’s weight management programs as part of plan members’ medical benefits starting next year. Digital health tools like Noom offer a solution to rising healthcare costs for insurers and employers, but they must boost member engagement to deliver ROI for customers. The companies should collaborate on targeted outreach—using AI and analytics to identify eligible members, promoting no-cost programs via text and email, and highlighting benefits through clear messaging, case studies, and testimonials.

Half of oncologists note their cancer patients are turning to AI tools for information before, during, and after their diagnosis and treatment, according to a recent survey of oncologists from Impiricus and Klick Health. As patients adopt more AI for health information, pharma marketers have a growing opportunity to help physicians navigate the new dynamic. Marketers can offer physicians training on how to discuss and correct AI-generated information, and by providing credible, easy-to-understand resources grounded in evidence.

elehealth company Ro is betting a new “food noise” assessment tool will give its patients and pharma partners new data insights for obesity care. As the term food noise gains recognition in consumer health, obesity and weight management marketers can shape early understanding and trust. Clear, evidence-based education campaigns that define food noise as a measurable symptom and not a failure of willpower, can reduce stigma and strengthen patient engagement.

Consumers lack familiarity with direct-to-consumer (D2C) pharma services, but many are open to purchasing prescription medications from drugmakers. Pharma companies entering the D2C market must boost awareness of the channel. Pharma brands and marketers should inform pharmacists and doctors of drugmakers' latest D2C options, since they’re key sources for patients with medication cost and coverage questions. They should also create clear educational materials showing how consumers can save on D2C prescriptions, backed by data on limited insurance coverage for certain drug categories.

The price of newly launched prescription drugs increased by more than half over two years, according to new analysis from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Research (ICER). Although the industry continues to bring innovative therapies to market, high launch prices risk alienating consumers and policymakers. Pharma marketers should prepare for intensified pricing scrutiny and create value-driven narratives anchored in outcomes data, financial support programs, and digital support tools that help patients connect price to health benefits.

Alphabet subsidiary Verily is launching a free health app offering personalized guidance from clinicians. The Verily Me app will also have an AI agent to answer people’s health questions based on their medical records. Verily’s competitive advantage over bigger companies with brand-name is that it has clinician partners and access to some medical record data. The company should leverage its network of doctors to endorse Verily Me to their patients, using real-world examples to demonstrate the benefit of combining a person’s health history with a medical expert’s view for individualized guidance.

One in five employers cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss in 2025, and larger employers are more likely to cover these medications, per KFF’s latest Employer Health Benefits survey. The significant year-over-year (YoY) jump in GLP-1 coverage among the largest companies signals a key shift: the employer debate is moving from whether to cover weight loss drugs to how to do so sustainably.

Leading healthcare AI startups, including OpenEvidence, Abridge, UpToDate, and Doximity, are rolling out new products and capabilities in the race to compete for physician adoption and investment funding. Companies could gain an advantage by making their products easily integrated into clinicians’ existing workflows, such as their EHRs. Startups should also showcase the outcomes of their technology to influential stakeholders like medical associations to help establish credibility at the clinician level.

The rate of prescription drug approvals decreased while drug review delays and rejections increased in Q3, according to an RBC Capital Markets analysis analysis. Rising rejection rates and delays raise the bar for pharma companies. Drugmakers need to ensure complete, high-quality submissions that anticipate scrutiny and minimize risk. AI tools can play a key role by flagging data gaps, predicting reviewer questions, and optimizing application language to current FDA standards and preferences before submission.

Walmart is now the first retailer to sell Abbott’s over-the-counter blood sugar monitor in stores. Its rollout of Abbott’s Lingo CGM brings real-time health tracking to mainstream retail, helping to make advanced health tech part of everyday life. For marketers, the rollout highlights a growing opportunity to reach proactive health seekers who want personalized insights about nutrition, exercise, and stress.

President Donald Trump remarked late last week that the cost of brand-name GLP-1 drugs could drop to $150 in the US. Trump didn’t detail which insurance markets the lower-cost GLP-1s would apply to, or how he plans to force Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to drop their prices. With prescriptions surging, GLP-1 drugmakers must prepare for tougher scrutiny and calls from the government, doctors, and patients alike to make treatments more affordable. Pharma marketers should intensify messaging around their weight loss drugs being cost-effective over the long haul by preventing more serious chronic diseases.

Americans’ trust in federal health agencies and political leaders continues to erode, but while many are confused about what to believe, they still want clearer guidance, per the latest Axios/Ipsos American Health Index. Federal agency staffing cuts, shifting vaccine guidance, and the glut of social media health information have fragmented Americans’ health trust. But trust hasn’t completely disappeared; it’s just gone local. Consumers still believe their doctors and families, creating an opening for healthcare and pharma brands to deliver clear, credible information through those trusted messengers.

EMD Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, reached a drug pricing deal with the Trump administration that will lower the cost of the company’s fertility treatments in exchange for tariff reprieve and expedited regulatory review of a product being brought to the US. Pharma’s pricing agreements with the government suggest they were far more worried about tariffs on US drug imports than they admitted in earnings calls or media interviews. Large drugmakers that are thinking through their own versions of deals will need to weigh their proposed product discounts against tariff exposure if they choose not to comply with the administration.

Hims & Hers and GoodRx each moved into new categories of prescription drug sales. Hims and Hers is now offering care for menopause and perimenopause under its Hers brand, while GoodRx launched a subscription for men’s hair loss treatment. GoodRx is a new player in an expanding market of companies selling prescription drugs, but we think the company has staying power. GoodRx’s vast user base offers a cheaper, more efficient path to converting consumers into subscription members than other D2C healthcare competitors.

Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) US parents consider themselves supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, according to a recent KFF/The Washington Post survey. MAHA supporters and non-supporters hold distinct views on the importance and safety of vaccines and other children’s health issues. Pharma and food marketers should encourage open dialogue around the concerns expressed by MAHA proponents. Marketers need to reach parents who are MAHA supporters with transparent, evidence-based messaging—not lectures—on food and drug safety.

The FDA sent another batch of warning letters to direct-to-consumer pharma advertisers, adding healthcare professional marketing to its list of complaints. Marketers should prepare for more intense medical and legal review checks, but also expand beyond brand messaging rather than pullback on the key HCP prescriber audience.

As pharma marketers and ad agencies begin to shift ad dollars from traditional linear to digital CTV, media buying is moving from programs and broad demo buys to data-driven audience targeting. Healthcare and pharma marketers have long relied on the broad reach and frequency of linear TV, but need to recognize the growing power of CTV. Marketers shouldn’t think of CTV as a replacement, but as a performance layer on top of linear’s scale and reach.

Pharma brands are partnering with Reddit to engage with patients more directly, according to a panel discussion at last week’s Advertising Week New York event. Healthcare and pharma brands need to be on Reddit, where communities actively discuss wellness, medications, and medical services. However, healthcare and pharma marketers must avoid obvious promotions, and instead post information that can help people while conducting their own Q&As hosted by company leaders with medical credentials.