Pharma execs reflect on 2025

For many pharmaceutical companies, 2025 was a hard year to navigate.

Would there be tariffs, and if so, how much? Would companies move manufacturing operations to the US? What was going to happen with Medicare drug price negotiations? What was their AI, direct-to-consumer, and digital strategy?

Looking back on this wild year, leaders across pharma told Healthcare Brew it was one with regulatory uncertainty—but also one with plenty of innovation.

These answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer, Walgreens

2025 reinforced how quickly expectations are shifting for pharmacy and the broader healthcare system. One of the biggest developments has been the acceleration of digital-first care models. The industry is moving toward more flexible, always-on access to care, and that includes everything from refills to vaccinations to chronic conditions support.

The future of pharmacy isn’t digital or in-person, it’s both. Our focus this year has been blending the strength of our physical footprint with new digital solutions…so patients can choose the experience that works for them.

Samir Gharib, president and CFO, Spruce Biosciences

[One important development in 2025 was] the investment into and integration of AI into drug discovery and process optimization. The FDA issued its first recommendations for AI in drug development, fast-tracking tools such as synthetic data for digital twins.

Sarah Kleinpeter, SVP and head of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia franchise, Biogen

One of the most important developments this year was the progress toward more personalized Alzheimer’s care. For the first time, we have FDA-cleared blood-based biomarker tests that can help make earlier evaluation more accessible for patients and families. We also saw the approval of Leqembi Iqlik, a subcutaneous option delivered via an autoinjector that gives people the opportunity to continue their maintenance therapy at home.

Matt Wetzel, partner in life sciences regulatory and compliance, GoodwinIn 2025, we watched the Trump administration use the full weight of the Oval Office—and not traditional regulatory approaches—to force drugmakers to reduce drug prices in the US and equalize prices around the globe. This was an untraditional but unmistakably effective use of the bully pulpit to move markets without moving statutes.