Healthcare leaders are betting on digital and virtual technologies powered by AI to improve patient engagement, satisfaction, and health outcomes.
Health systems and health insurers are at risk of losing business due to the new law, but have an opportunity to proactively support patients through upcoming changes to Medicaid coverage.
As more Americans take weight loss drugs, eating, shopping, and healthcare expectations are all evolving
Pharma’s intangible value drops as others climb: While other sectors gained ground, pharma lost value, driven by individual company setbacks and policy pressures.
While online pharmacy is booming, access to an in-person pharmacist remains important. Expect chains to focus on smaller, health-focused stores and expand their digital services in 2026.
Gen Z worries, AI search shake-ups, and social media trust issues are driving major marketing shifts across all fronts.
Patients want medication clarity and cost help earlier—pharma brands can step up with timely info, not just ads.
Regulatory crackdowns, digital dominance, and AI adoption forced marketers to rethink strategy, spend, and compliance across the year.
Pharma, startups, and the federal government piled into virtual care with new platforms and partnerships.
Wegovy pill offers a needle-free, lower-cost option that could broaden patient access.
The White House issued an executive order reclassifying cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance—a lower-risk category that puts it on the same plane as some controlled prescription medications. The US legal cannabis industry is worth $35 billion and served by at least 800 FIs. Even if Congress follows through as cannabis is reclassified as a lower-risk substance, banks will likely be slow to get involved. Enhanced due diligence and reporting requirements are in force until further notice, and being in the cannabis business has a stigma among banks regardless.
23% now say it’s in crisis—the highest share in 30 years—with affordability fears at the core.
Pharma companies see pricing concessions as the lesser of two evils, as the price cuts grant exemption from Trump’s tariffs on US drug imports.
As AI moves into decision-making support, the next challenge is helping patients trust how it fits into their care.
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.