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.
The news: Moderna has agreed to conduct a true placebo-controlled trial of its new COVID-19 vaccine, according to a post on X this week from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Our take: It’s difficult for vaccine makers to keep up with shifting requirements for getting shots approved, and for which groups of people. Companies may soon have to weigh pouring billions more into vaccine R&D against expanding or growing product offerings to other drug markets.
FarmboxRx acquired by wellness company Pyx Health: Food-as-medicine companies are projected to prosper under an administration that touts lifestyle changes over prescription drugs—but Medicaid cuts could thwart growth.
Bristol Myers Squibb partners with BioNTech on new cancer drug: It’s the latest in a new class of cancer treatment drawing billions in dealmaking, which promises hope for cancer patients—but also likely higher drug prices.
Best Buy’s health business suffers a major setback: It may be tough for Best Buy to justify its investments in home healthcare without more Trump admin support to reimburse for hospital-at-home initiatives.
Potential tariffs, drug pricing order may not be too disruptive to pharma: However, the administration’s executive orders, proposals, and threats can’t be taken lightly. Drug companies must stay nimble with plans in place for different outcomes.
Trump administration drops Moderna mRNA pandemic flu research: This adds to increasing doubt around the validity of mRNA vaccines, and will likely cause uncertainty for drugmakers looking to federal agencies for vaccine guidance.
General Medicine debuts as a platform where consumers can shop for medical care: While the healthcare marketplace concept isn’t new, the startup could have an upper hand by allowing people to see prices for medical care based on their unique health insurance details.
Medtronic spins out diabetes business into D2C company: Amid growing diabetes diagnoses, Medtronic is doubling down on its focus with a device company dedicated to helping consumers with diabetes.
Pharma companies are facing drug pricing and tax revenue pressure from Trump and Congress: As Trump rolls out new drug pricing executive orders, companion bills in Congress are amplifying pressure on the industry, driving companies closer to decide whether to negotiate or push back in court.
Drug developers relocate clinical trials amid Trump’s NIH research and funding cuts: The final damage to research pipelines is still to be determined, but biotech and pharma companies are already reacting, and more may consider doing so given the uncertainty.
Omada Health is the latest prominent digital health player to go public in 2025: While healthcare companies are weathering the uncertain economic environment, Omada and Hinge must prove their programs for chronic condition management can be worthwhile long-term investments.
At-home injectable drugs have been getting more approvals: Amneal Pharmaceuticals is the latest to gain approval for its migraine treatment. Pharma companies can help spur uptake for at-home injectables like it with more education and support.
The FDA pushes aggressive timeline to implement AI-assisted drug reviews: The FDA plans to speed up drug reviews with AI by the end of June, but pharma companies already concerned about the impact of layoffs and recent drug approval delays shouldn’t see it as a silver bullet.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty steps down: New leadership will aim to straighten out the company’s Medicare Advantage business to appease Wall Street. But we’re also keeping an eye on what they’ll do to improve UHG’s sinking reputation.
Gilead joins pharma companies that are boosting US manufacturing amid Trump-induced challenges: Gilead Sciences faces unique challenges as a leading HIV drugmaker—Trump’s tariff threats coincide with cuts to global HIV programs and LGBTQ+ healthcare initiatives.
Trump asks regulators to make it easier to build US drug manufacturing sites: Drugmakers should wait for the precise tariff rate on the sector—set to come within two weeks—before investing in more domestic infrastructure.
Function Health acquires Ezra, drops price of full-body MRI scan: Whole-body MRI screenings are out of most people’s price range. Marketers and influencers fueling the preventative wellness trend should also remind consumers of lower-cost, more accessible services.
Direct-to-patient models could pay off for pharma: But if pharma companies bypass middlemen such as insurers and PBMs, they’ll need to pay attention to where patients see the biggest needs for improvement to their healthcare experience— and not just try to fill as many new prescriptions as possible.
Trump admin invests $500M for universal vaccine project: Perhaps the administration isn’t as anti-vax as publicly perceived. However, vaccine makers are still on high alert as approval timelines for vaccines undergoing trials could get pushed back.