The news: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled $500 million in federal mRNA grants, eliminating flu, COVID-19, and infectious disease research that used the technology. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) agency nixed 22 contracts, including ones with Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca.
The news: The maker of the Cologuard at-home colon cancer screening test, Exact Sciences, is buying the rights to a promising blood test for colon cancer. The takeaway: As early colon cancer rates increase, more young people are becoming interested in screening. Blood tests adds another option, and for Exact’s Cologuard, known for irreverent ad campaigns for the at-home stool sample kits, another way to advocate for more screening.
The trend: Over half of US adults with health insurance (51%) said they needed a prior authorization for a medical service or treatment in the past two years, according to a July 2025 KFF study. The final word: Prior authorizations can lead to delayed—or even denied—care. To date, health plans have not been held accountable for their increased frequency of coverage denials. That could soon change due to a flurry of bills on prior authorization reform at the state level—but for the time being, insurers’ promises and pledges are more PR spin than actionable improvement.
The news: Noom is now selling microdoses of compounded GLP-1 semaglutide for weight loss with a lower price tag and fewer side effects. Our take: GLP-1 microdosing is booming on social media trend and although weight loss drugmakers Novo and Lilly have neither studied nor endorsed mini doses, it’s another tactic for telehealth providers like Noom to stay in the weight loss game. We expect GLP-1 microdosing to gain marketing steam among telehealths this year.
The news: President Trump said to CNBC on Tuesday that forthcoming tariffs on pharma products imported to the US could reach 250%. It’s the highest rate on pharma tariffs that Trump has mentioned to date. Our take: 250% is an enormous number, but it’s more of a threat than an end result that will impair the sector. Such a high levy rate will likely spur further manufacturing commitments, which is something Big Pharma is prepared for—especially if they’re given 18 months to move more production to the US.
The news: A California court ruled Meta’s collection of menstrual health data violated state privacy laws, per TechCrunch. The takeaway: The Meta case puts tech companies that use health data for ad targeting and marketing on notice. Explicit consent and absolute transparency is not only legally critical around healthcare data, but also key to building trust with consumers.
The trend: Consumers are less satisfied with chain drugstores than with mail-order pharmacies, mass market merchandisers, and supermarket pharmacies, according to JD Power’s US Pharmacy Study. Our take: We expect consumers to increasingly explore different channels for getting their prescriptions, both in-person and online—especially folks in areas affected by drugstore closures. CVS and Walgreens have a built-in advantage of established pharmacy customers, but will lose more of them if they don’t address long lines at the counter and improve their online and in-app capabilities.
The news: President Trump sent letters to 17 pharma companies, demanding they take action to lower drug prices in the US within 60 days. Our take: We think it’s unrealistic to expect pharma companies to willingly cut their profits despite Trump’s escalated demands. Drugmakers called out in the letter will likely wait out Trump’s deadline and see what he threatens next, knowing they could always legally challenge the most-favored nation order. We also expect more pharma companies to make some of their medicines available through the D2C channel, perhaps seeing it as a reasonable good-faith concession that they hope will get Trump to back off the most-favored nation pricing.
The news: Merck is teaming with McKinsey for a generative AI (genAI) program that streamlines clinical study reports (CSRs). The takeaway: GenAI is ideal for time-intensive precise medical writing and frees content creators for oversight and strategic tasks. While Merck and some others are already using it for regulatory filings, those who stall or keep their pilots in the experimentation phase risk losing valuable time-to-market advantages.
The news: Medicare and Medicaid could cover GLP-1s for weight loss as part of a proposed five-year government experiment, according to a report in The Washington Post. Our take: The pilot, albeit not finalized, is a significant about-face from the Trump administration—particularly its top health official, Kennedy. It could be a signal that CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is behind the plan, since he’s a bigger proponent of the meds. Still, we’re dubious about how many health plans will commit considering GLP-1s' high costs are a top concern for most insurers.
The news: CVS’s Q2 earnings topped estimates, buoyed by solid performance in its retail pharmacy segment and signs that its health insurance division is finally turning things around. Our take: CVS may not be thriving compared with earlier in the decade, but it’s in a good position relative to most of its rivals. That’s largely because of its diversified footprint across healthcare (pharmacy, insurance, PBM) that prevents the company from being overexposed in one struggling sector. CVS’ ongoing company turnaround could be a good sign for the similarly structured UnitedHealth, DOJ investigations notwithstanding.
The trend: Older consumers pick up their prescription medicines in person more often, while Gen Z looks to buy Rx drugs online, per M3 MI’s Consumer Health Study of over 20,000 US adults. The takeaway: Drugmakers can lean into tailored marketing efforts that match age demographics and retail preferences. Amazon Pharmacy doesn’t take ads, but pharma companies can show young people getting Amazon Rx deliveries. On the flip side, feature older actors or promote vaccine messages via retail media in grocery stores.
The news: More than 60 healthcare and technology players, including Amazon, Apple, Google, UnitedHealth Group, and OpenAI, signed a voluntary pledge put forth by the Trump administration to make it easier for consumers to access their medical data. Our take: It’s not the first time that industry players have pledged to improve health data sharing—but we haven’t seen enough progress due to a lack of accountability or enforcement. Many consumers also likely have concerns about how tech companies will use and protect their personal information.
The news: Novo Nordisk’s stock plunged over 20% on Tuesday after it cut full-year guidance, citing lower-than-expected sales growth for Wegovy, its blockbuster weight loss drug. Our take: Despite the recent slump, we think Novo is well positioned to rebound. It remains one of two dominant players in the weight loss drug space and is still posting profit growth, albeit below Wall Street expectations. With the US adult obesity rate expected to hit 50% by 2030, the market opportunity is huge. Meanwhile, regulators are likely going to make it more difficult for compounded drugs to be sold as long as brand-name forms stay off the FDA’s drug shortage list.
The news: The trade deal between the US and EU will include a 15% tariff on pharmaceuticals imported from Europe, the White House said. The final word: Pharma companies and industry trade groups had been holding out hope that their medicines imported to the US would be exempt from tariffs. Not getting that reprieve is a setback—but the 15% rate on its own could be seen as a decent outcome, particularly considering that 200% tariffs were threatened and the Section 232 investigation could lead to a higher levy in other countries.
The news: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to remove all 16 members of a task force that advises the government on preventive health services due to the committee being perceived as too “woke,” according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Our take: A complete overhaul of another important panel of medical experts could reduce patient access to critical preventive care while confusing doctors about which guidelines to rely on—especially if Kennedy chooses replacements based on politics and like-minded beliefs rather than health expertise.
The trend: Hispanic and Black people are underrepresented in the clinician workforce compared to the broader US population, according to a KFF analysis of 2023 industry data. Our take: Diversity impacts where patients feel most comfortable seeking healthcare. Providers and marketers should invest in multilingual staff and partner with local community groups that have established relationships with diverse consumers.
The trend: GenAI tools like ChatGPT are providing fewer disclaimers that chatbots are not a substitute for professional medical advice, according to a recent study cited in MIT Technology Review. Our take: Tech players must prioritize user safety—not winning the AI race. Health warnings should be standard, and marketers will need to scale back claims that AI accuracy surpasses physicians’.
The news: More than 90% of multicultural consumers use digital devices in their healthcare journeys, per a new Cadent Pharma Advertising Trends study. The takeaway: TV is still an important broad awareness media channel for pharma and healthcare companies. However, among growing diverse populations, digital and mobile advertising is more popular and spurs a desire for more information and purchasing. Marketers need to meet diverse audiences with educational and culturally relevant content.
The news: The popular physical fitness goal of 10,000 steps per day may be getting an overhaul with new research that found 7,000 steps per day offers significant health benefits and lowers risk of serious disease. The takeaway: Health and fitness marketers can use the new 7,000-step results as a motivator. Key in on the lowered goal in marketing messages—7,000 is the new 10,000—and use non-judgemental and friendly language. Tap influencers to spread the word that the more achievable goal means much better health.