ALT Madrigal Pharmaceuticals launches ‘MASH Across America’ with giant inflatable liver in Philly

ALT Jamie Watson, former Major League Soccer player, broadcaster, and host of the exhibit is helping raise awareness because his mother is currently on the national transplant waiting list awaiting a liver transplant.

ALT The recent Presidential Executive Memorandum and FDA crackdown on deceptive practices in direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising mark a pivotal moment for our industry. Over the past few days, I’ve had countless discussions with clients, peers, and industry leaders about the future of DTC marketing. Faced with potential changes to DTC advertising regulations affecting TV and social media in particular, increasing requirements for data privacy in health, and rapidly evolving technology, our industry is experiencing a convergence of factors that is unique in both speed and complexity. This evolution is unlike anything we have experienced before; and while the impact of these forces remains to be seen, one thing is abundantly clear: the landscape of health advertising is evolving, and it’s doing so for the better.

ALT Novo Nordisk submits proposal to acquire Metsera, Pfizer calls move ‘reckless’ This morning Novo Nordisk announced that it submitted an unsolicited proposal to acquire Metsera, a move that Pfizer called “reckless and unprecedented.” Metsera has early and development-stage incretin and non-incretin analogue peptide programs, and Novo Nordisk states an acquisition would be in line with its “long-term strategy of developing innovative and differentiated medicines and treating millions more people living with obesity and diabetes and their associated comorbidities.” The proposed deal has a value of $6 billion, with up to an additional $2.5 billion based on the achievement of certain clinical and regulatory milestones.

ALT A wearable moment By Joshua Slatko, Med Ad News “My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable in four years.” One might expect the CEO of a health wearable tech company to say something like that. But not in this case. In this case it was U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifying before Congress in June. “It’s a way people can take control of their own health,” Kennedy continued. “They can see what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates, and a number of other metrics as they eat it, and they can begin to make good judgments about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way that they live their lives.”

ALT What pharma marketers should know about Bluesky By Helen Hoye, AbelsonTaylor Group In the ever-changing world of social media, Bluesky has emerged as an intriguing new platform, particularly for HCPs and the broader pharma industry. As a decentralized, ad-free network, it offers a unique environment compared to mainstream social platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Threads. If you’re a pharma marketer wondering whether Bluesky is worth your time, here are some key things to know.

ALT Generative AI took the pharma world by storm in late 2022 and has yet to show signs of loosening its grip. While the everyday patient may not yet notice its influence, its ubiquity in the digital ecosystem and to marketers is undeniable. Nearly every tool used across the industry now has a large language model (LLM) quietly humming in the background, fundamentally changing how brand and marketing pros interact and do their jobs. One area that has started to be impacted is search. Since launching in 2024, Google’s AI Overviews (AIO) has transformed the search experiences, alongside platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, all of which are changing how users find information through generative search. These changes influence the entire omnichannel ecosystem, including brand strategy, as companies must adapt to incorporate new data and balance tried-and-true with cutting-edge tactics. But how big of a deal is this really?

ALT The first 100 days of a new administration often serve as a bellwether for its policy agenda. In 2025, the second Trump administration has acted swiftly across key healthcare fronts, with significant implications for drug pricing, reimbursement, and access. A panel of experts from the Advisory group at Avalere Health analyzed the administration’s actions from the first 100 days and shared their findings at Asembia’s AXS25 Summit in Las Vegas. The specialty pharmacy conference brought together more than 8,000 attendees from more than 1,400 companies. The following summarizes the presentation and provides a glimpse of what to expect in the coming months. Looking ahead, pharma leaders should prepare for lasting impacts of new policies and shifting market dynamics.

ALT From slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s with donanemab to treating diabetes and helping with weight loss with semaglutide, pharmaceutical companies have made some recent groundbreaking, life-changing discoveries. These organizations excel at product innovation — finding breakthrough molecules through internal research, partnerships, or investments. They can successfully commercialize these discoveries through established channels, but their business model is vulnerable: disconnected from end users, heavily regulated, and filled with intermediaries. Though developed over decades, this model faces constant threats of disruption from regulatory changes, new technologies, and competitors. But there is an opportunity for leaders at pharmaceutical firms to break out of the pack by embracing a more venture-informed approach to business model innovation.