• California/Pennsylvania: A new experimental drug from Ionis Pharmaceuticals and GSK could essentially cure patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Although most people will recover from hepatitis B, it can also lead to chronic infections, which can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. Currently, over 1 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis B and must undergo lifelong treatment. In two 24-week studies, researchers tested Ionis and GSK's experimental drug bepirovirsen in over 1,838 patients across 29 countries. Bepiroversen is a weekly injection that prevents the hepatitis B virus from replicating and helps the immune system combat infected cells. According to the researchers, around 20% of patients who received bepirovirsen had no detectable hepatitis B virus in their systems after 48 weeks, meaning they were functionally cured.  "It's the first major advance in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in decades," said William Jarnagin, a surgeon and liver specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. GSK has applied to FDA for regulatory approval of the drug, with a decision from the agency expected by Oct. 26. (Kolata, New York Times, 5/28; Jeffries, Becker's Hospital Review, 5/28)
• Georgia: According to preliminary CDC data, the percentage of uninsured individuals remained steady from 2024 to 2025. In 2024, the uninsured rate was 8.2%, and in 2025, the uninsured rate was 8.3%. Adults ages 18 to 64 had the highest uninsured rates at 11.6% while seniors ages 65 and older had the lowest at 0.7%. A little over 5.6% of children were also uninsured. Although the uninsured rate did not change significantly between 2024 and 2025, it could grow significantly due to recent policy changes. For example, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes over $1 trillion in cuts to federal healthcare spending over the next 10 years, which could lead to an additional 10 million people becoming uninsured. The expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies at the end of 2025 could also push more people to become uninsured due to rising costs. (Olsen, Healthcare Dive, 5/29)
• Washington: Amazon has named Roy Schoenberg the new head of Amazon Health Services, effective July 1. Schoenberg succeeds Neil Lindsey, who became SVP of Amazon Health Services in 2021 and is leaving to pursue personal projects. Lindsey will remain with the company as an advisor to Schoenberg through the end of the year. Schoenberg founded Amwell with his brother in 2006 and served as president and co-CEO of the company until 2024. He also served as executive vice chair of Amwell's board of directors until last month. Schoenberg also founded Aileen.ai, a company that is creating an AI health companion for older adults. In a letter to employees, Doug Herrington, CEO of worldwide stores at Amazon, wrote that Schoenberg "brings a rare combination of clinical expertise, technology vision, and experience building healthcare businesses at scale." (Olsen, Healthcare Dive, 5/28)

In a rapidly changing pharmaceutical landscape, three foundational forces are set to shape the industry's future: artificial intelligence and machine learning in drug development, the urgent need for health equity, and the role of patient-reported outcomes. Discover why these forces are critical for manufacturers to consider in their strategic planning for 2025 and beyond.