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Lawmakers investigate telehealth tie-ups with pharma: Despite more scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, we expect even more Big Pharma D2C launches this year.

Novo Nordisk launches D2C platform, drops price of Wegovy for cash-pay patients: The move could start a marketing showdown鈥攁nd possible price war鈥攂etween Novo and Lilly.

Warby Parker joins forces with Target: The D2C eyewear brand will open five shop-in-shops as it doubles down on physical retail.

Senators reintroduce Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act: If passed, the Act could empower patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare amid a torrent of direct-to-consumer drug ads.

Sanofi鈥檚 Opella secures FDA nod to pursue OTC Cialis study: If Cialis鈥� shift from a prescription drug to over-the-counter product comes to fruition, both consumers and D2C retailers could benefit.

Could Trump鈥檚 second term include a ban on D2C pharma ads? We examine the likelihood of a ban and explore what more oversight of drug ads on TV means for pharma marketers.

Healthcare and pharma companies will lean further into D2C in 2025: They鈥檙e cutting out health insurers and PBMs that bottleneck patient access to their products and services. But the industry鈥檚 push into D2C won鈥檛 be met without challenges.

The battle between Big Pharma and D2C weight loss drug sellers will intensify in 2025: We explore the competitive GLP-1 drug market and detail what鈥檚 at stake for drugmakers and D2C companies selling compounded weight loss medications.

RFK Jr.鈥檚 pharmaceutical ad ban could affect $22 billion in ad spending: A business-friendly Trump administration could hamper RFK鈥檚 plans to cut D2C advertising.

This has led to a new era of direct-to-consumer (D2C) healthcare. Now, some people are even willing to pay out of pocket for popular treatments like weight-loss drugs or for personalized, "concierge-style" medical care from companies like One Medical and Hims & Hers. To compete with these tech-savvy healthcare companies, traditional clinics and health systems need to adapt.

By contrast, D2C sales were muted, rising just 0.5% YoY on a net basis, while comparable D2C sales fell by 2.2%. Our take: Of the two companies, Deckers is better equipped to manage the uncertain environment. It has considerably more pricing power than Puma, giving it more room to offset tariff costs.

It鈥檚 offering cheaper Ozempic via its direct-to-consumer (D2C) NovoCare Pharmacy and at retail through a new GoodRx partnership. Zooming in: Novo鈥檚 first collaboration with GoodRx includes both Ozempic and Wegovy (Novo鈥檚 weight loss version of semaglutide), also for $499. Novo鈥檚 deal with the Rx drug discounter extends the lower cash price to more than 70,000 local pharmacy counters.

And in June, GoodRx moved into D2C medication sales with a telehealth subscription service for generic ED treatments. Healthcare incumbents are also wading into D2C waters to ward off the competitive threat posed by nontraditional players. Chicago鈥檚 Rush Health, for instance, now offers a D2C virtual urgent care membership program that includes access to a dedicated personal assistant.

ESPN just launched a direct-to-consumer platform consolidating 12 networks into one streaming app, coinciding with Fox鈥檚 debut of Fox One, with plans for a bundle with both services in October. Netflix bet on live sports by becoming the official streaming partner of the WWE and investing in NFL games. Amazon Prime Video expanded its reach with an 11-year NBA deal and WNBA extension.

Looking ahead: Hoffmann said tariffs aren鈥檛 new for the retail industry and noted that On has 鈥渕ultiple opportunities鈥� to offset higher tariffs, from boosting its D2C mix to recent US price increases. He said the company could also discuss mitigation strategies with its retail and factory partners, should that be necessary.

And ESPN is set to launch a DTC streaming platform in the US later this month that will consolidate ESPN programming under one roof and can be bundled with Disney+.

Meanwhile, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King (I-ME) are pushing the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act, which would ban direct-to-consumer pharma ads across linear, digital, social media, print, and radio.