At Reuters Pharma USA 2025, industry leaders reinforced the need to put patients first, embrace agility, and simplify treatment access. The Swoop and MyHealthTeam attendees in Philadelphia gathered important lessons and actionable insights for pharma marketers everywhere to learn from.
Here are five quick takeaways from Reuters Pharma USA 2025:
Engaging patients led to Super Bowl success for Novartis - Through research with women who had breast cancer, Novartis learned that the importance of screenings was missing from their messaging. The idea for the praised Super Bowl commercial “Your Attention, Please,” came from a conversation about breasts being “too adored to be ignored,” shared Carl Smith, Executive Director U.S. Oncology Marketing Novartis. The ad drove engagement, sparked conversation, and connected with the growing audience of women watching sports.
Nothing for the patient without the patient - On the panel “The Future of Patient Access Through Direct-to-Patient Models” Debra Jennings, Head of North America Operations, Patient Services at Kyowa Kirin, advocated for direct-to-patient marketing. She noted that meeting patients where they are and creating personalized experiences is part of the omnichannel ecosystem for any pharma brand. Ask yourself, how are we harmonizing all of the messages that a patient hears into a singular voice.
Person-first language empowers patients - Using person-first language promotes holistic care, empowers patients, and improves health outcomes and satisfaction, according to Gilead Director Global Medical Affairs HIV Kesha O’Reilly. Her session “Finding and engaging disenfranchised patients: A roadmap for impact” covered gaps in healthcare access that impact clinical trial participation. Kesha asked pharma marketers to show up with empathy, build relationships, and educate the community in ruraal areas. With real-world success stories of rural healthcare transformation, Kesha shared that language and technology can be used to build trust. After the launch of myHIVteam in Spanish, MyHealthTeam, a Swoop company, saw first-hand that if you want to connect with patients you have to do it in their language and using their terminology. For example, some Latino men will refer to themselves as men who have sex with men instead of gay or homosexual because of cultural stigmas.
Tell scientific stories in simple language - When communicating scientific information, clarity is key. Industry experts stressed the importance of using plain, consistent language in infographics, social posts, and clinical trial reports. This approach not only builds trust but also empowers patients by making complex information accessible.In the panel “Build trust in your brand through compelling scientific stories”, scientific communications experts shared how they engage with the community at 5Ks and car washes to reach their patient population.
Algorithms shape the behavior of all audiences - From Netflix to TikTok, we’re all adjusting our expectations based on the algorithms around us, according to Sanofi Global Patient Experience Lead Dupixent Asthma and COPD Jose Maria Guido Avila. HCPs and patients are used to AI and algorithms that suggest the best content and answer questions instantly. Pharma brands should find ways to make brand education as simple and interactive as possible. Jose shared examples from virtual health influencers to digital twins for clinical trial simulations.
As an industry willing to learn from patients, each other, and the algorithms that shape our lives, we can create a future where innovative, data-driven strategies lead to better patient outcomes and a more responsive healthcare ecosystem.