The data: Nearly two-thirds of US adults (64%) have an unfavorable view of the House’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, per KFF polling. Our take: If they aren’t already, healthcare marketers ought to be launching blitz campaigns about the bill’s potential ramifications. For instance, they could put pressure on lawmakers in the Senate by citing just-released study estimates that the proposed changes to Medicaid may result in ~25,000 preventable deaths annually due to how many patients will lose their physician, forgo needed medications, and put off screenings like mammograms.
The trend: Gen Z adults and boomers are more likely to strongly support vaccines for disease prevention than middle-aged generations. The takeaway: Gen Zers mirror older people’s pro-vaccine stance. This might be surprising, but it also presents an opportunity for brands and marketers who can no longer assume that young consumers are purely skeptical of the healthcare system. Marketers will want to tap influencers and edutainment to make sure accurate information on vaccines and other evidence-based treatments is readily available.
The news: Anne Wojcicki, the co-founder and CEO of 23andMe, is set to recoup control of the company after outbidding Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in a bankruptcy action. Our take: 23andMe will have a brand reputation problem assuming Wojcicki regains control. The company’s best path forward, considering past mistakes, is tapping into new consumer health and wellness categories rather than enterprise partnerships with pharma.
The news: Novo Nordisk missed an important patent filing deadline in Canada for its weight loss and diabetes drug semaglutide, opening the door to generics as soon as next year. Our take: If Sandoz and other generic makers start selling semaglutide GLP-1 drugs in Canada next year, FDA approval for states may not matter. If drugmakers do start selling generic GLP-1s in Canada, Novo will see Ozempic brand sales drop, but the GLP-1 market could see a generics’ explosion.
The news: Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King (I-ME) have introduced a bill, The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act, that would prohibit D2C prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms, and social media. Our take: Despite disdain for drug commercials among consumers and lawmakers, pharma marketers shouldn’t sound the alarm just yet.
The data: Healthcare providers are struggling to get patients to use digital tools for scheduling appointments and paying for care, according to a recent Experian Health report. Our take: Clinic staff should gauge patients’ comfort level with using specific online tools at the first visit. These queries could give marketers the necessary information to remind people of the tech that’s available to them for accessing and managing their care. Further education around understanding medical bills and the importance of filling out pre-visit forms could drive patients to use a provider’s portal for these purposes.
The news: Novo Nordisk is partnering with AI drug discovery company Deep Apple Therapeutics to discover and develop new cardiometabolic drugs, including for obesity. The takeaway: Novo is not the biggest loser in the GLP-1 weight loss category, but it’s trailing Lilly in drug effectiveness, market value, and more importantly public perception. It’s critical for Novo to come up with new and better weight loss drugs—hence the deal with Deep Apple—but also polish its brand with consumers. A new CEO and new marketing direction could garner Novo some much-needed cachet.
The trend: Gen Z is turning to social media for job and career guidance in the UK, but typical pharma company content isn’t engaging them. The takeaway: Pharma and biotech companies need to embrace social media as serious recruiting channels to connect with Gen Z, and create unpolished, everyday snapshot-type videos with real employees. Social teams should track video trends on TikTok like “day in the life” or “put a finger down” and enlist employees to replicate them.
The news: Eli Lilly said it won’t partner with telehealth companies that sell compounded weight loss drugs. Our take: Lilly’s demand may signal that it’s in a better position in the weight loss drug market than Novo to play hardball with industry partners such as Hims & Hers.
The news: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced the CDC’s influential vaccine advisory board with 8 new members, including some anti-vaccine advocates. Our take: The new HHS administration's public statements and actions undermine the safety perception of all vaccines. Drugmakers on the sidelines risk consumer trust—and vaccine uptake. It’s time to partner with respected medical groups like AMA to counterbalance confusion.
The news: BioNTech is buying cancer vaccine researcher and one-time COVID-19 vaccine rival CureVac in a $1.25 billion all-stock deal. The takeaway: The new HHS is taking a less-than-positive view on mainstream vaccines and mRNA technology, but it’s also signaled strong interest in personalized medicines and novel therapies. That’s good news for BioNTech, and could be a sign to other pharmas and biotechs that precision and specialty drugs are poised for fast tracking, while vaccines caught up in public and political controversy will be overscrutinized and delayed to market.
The data: Physicians are more bullish on AI in healthcare than patients. Our take: Doctors are still figuring out AI themselves—but they can’t lose sight of how important it is to keep patients informed. They’ll need to get patient consent for use cases such as transcribing visits, and should opt out of using AI if their patients aren’t comfortable with it.
The news: GoodRx is rolling out a subscription service for erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment. Our take: GoodRx is in a great position to compete with the top D2C telehealth players since consumers are already on the site or app searching for prescription drug discounts—it has over 6 million active monthly consumers who use a coupon code. GoodRx might also be more trusted than pure-play telehealth companies in the eyes of consumers since its services help people save money on their healthcare.
The news: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of an advisory panel that makes vaccine recommendations to the CDC. Our take: Eroding trust in public health entities could create an opportunity for the private sector to fill the void. This may include physician-led associations such as the AMA, individual doctors and pharmacists, and even drugmakers to collaborate on disseminating evidence-based information around vaccines to the public.
The news: TikTok tweens and teens who make popular “Get ready with me” skincare routine videos may be harming their skin. The takeaway: Amid the closer social media scrutiny, skincare health brands should be clear about products that are not made for young skin. Social media teams need to be aware and proactive when interacting with tween and teen content creators.
The news: Avidity Biosciences struck a deal with the FDA for accelerated approval of a treatment for a rare type of muscular dystrophy. Our take: The Avidity announcement and federal health agency enthusiasm are positive signs for biotech and pharma companies looking for accelerated approval for rare disease candidates. Federal authorities and drugmakers will need to balance speed-to-market with rigorous science to ensure physician and consumer confidence.
The insight: Growing GLP-1 usage could reduce McDonald’s annual sales by as much as $428 million, or 1% of system sales, according to an analysis by researchers at Redburn Atlantic. The impact could widen to 10% or more “over time,” the analysts wrote, for brands like McDonald’s that are “skewed toward lower-income consumers or group occasions.” Our take: GLP-1s are just one of the many factors influencing what consumers eat. With economic uncertainty looming large, financial concerns are the biggest consideration for the majority of consumers—which is why households are choosing to eat at home more often and increasingly opting for private labels at the grocery store.
The news: Digital health startup Virta Health is guaranteeing that its employer and health plan customers won’t increase spending on GLP-1 drugs for their members. Our take: Virta’s financial guarantee will likely catch the attention of employers and insurers, but it could quickly backfire from a financial perspective if it’s unable to curb GLP-1 prescription volume.
The trend: Consumers who take weight loss drugs are eating less and consuming healthier foods when they’re on the medication. Our take: This behavior change is driving a slew of food sellers and CPG brands to develop product lines and reformulate items with GLP-1 users in mind.
The news: US pharma imports returned to normal in April after a March stockpiling of drugs and medical products spurred by tariff threats from the Trump administration. The takeaway: Fluctuating tariff threats from the Trump administration means ongoing uncertainty for drugmakers. If the indecision lags for more than a few months, expect some pharma product stockpiling to return.