The year 2025 was an eventful one, marked by increased trade
tensions, tariff threats, accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)
in drug development, and an intensified race for next-gen obesity treatments.
Major drugmakers pledged substantial investments in the US to mitigate
potential tariffs. By the year-end, the Trump
Administration announced deals with several drugmakers to lower prices for its
Medicaid program and for cash payers.The year also saw significant changes at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including high-profile leadership changes and workforce reductions. The agency rolled out advanced AI systems — known as agentic AI — to help its staff achieve specific goals.Several large mergers and acquisitions also shaped 2025. Pfizer bought obesity-focused biopharma Metsera for US$ 10 billion and Johnson & Johnson acquired Intra-Cellular for US$ 14.6 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals introduced a new, non-opioid painkiller, Journavx (suzetrigine), and GSK launched Blujepa (gepotidacin) which is now approved for treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs) and gonorrhea. Here are the top stories that made it to PharmaCompass’ top 10 Phispers of 2025.I. Drugmakers pledge over US$ 370 bn in
building US capacities; lower Medicaid prices From the outset, 2025 was defined by tariff threats and trade tensions as the US government signaled potential steep tariffs on imported branded drugs. To mitigate the impact of potential tariffs, multinational drugmakers announced sizable investments in the US.Eli Lilly has announced
a US$ 27 billion investment, followed by Johnson & Johnson (US$ 55 billion), Novartis (US$ 23 billion), Roche (US$ 50 billion), Bristol Myers Squibb (US$ 40 billion), AstraZeneca (US$ 50 billion), and GSK (US$ 30 billion). A Wall Street Journal report dated September 16
states that drugmakers have pledged more than US$ 370 billion in US investments due to
tariff threats, while ThinkGlobalHealth estimates this number at over US$ 480 billion.On
September 30, Pfizer struck a US$ 70 billion deal with the US government to
lower Medicaid drug prices and expand domestic manufacturing.
And in December, US President Donald Trump and nine major drugmakers announced agreements to lower medicine prices for the government’s Medicaid program and for cash payers. These prices will be in line with the lowest prices paid by other developed nations (known as the ‘most-favored-nation’ pricing).II. Pfizer doubles down on obesity market, buys Metsera for
US$ 10 bn, inks deal with YaoPharmaPfizer aggressively pursued the
booming obesity market. In November, Pfizer completed the US$ 10
billion (approximately) acquisition of Metsera, a clinical-stage biopharma
focused on drugs for obesity and cardiometabolic diseases, after winning a bidding war against Novo Nordisk. The following month, Pfizer
signed a deal worth up to US$ 2.1 billion with China’s YaoPharma, a subsidiary of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, to develop and commercialize an
experimental GLP-1 weight-loss drug — YP05002.III. FDA approves Vertex’s non-opioid painkiller that blocks acute pain at sourceFDA approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ non-opioid painkiller, Journavx (suzetrigine), for the treatment of
moderate-to-severe acute pain in adults. This represents
the first new class of pain medication in over two decades, and offers an alternative
to opioid analgesics.IV. GSK’s Blujepa approved for treating uncomplicated UTIs; also okayed for gonorrheaIn
March 2025, FDA approved GSK’s antibiotic, Blujepa (gepotidacin), for the treatment of uncomplicated
urinary tract infections (uUTIs) in female patients aged 12 years and older who
weigh at least 40 kg. This marked the first approval of a new class of for uUTIs in nearly 30 years. In December, FDA expanded Blujepa’s label to include treatment for gonorrhea, a sexually
transmitted disease.V. J&J acquires neuroscience biotech Intra-Cellular for US$ 14.6 billionJohnson & Johnson kicked off 2025 with the US$ 14.6 billion acquisition of Intra-Cellular Therapies, strengthening its neuroscience portfolio. Intra-Cellular’s Caplyta (lumateperone) is a once-daily oral therapy approved for treating adults
with schizophrenia and depressive episodes associated with bipolar I or II
disorder.VI. Changes at FDA: A year marked by high-profile resignations, rollout of agentic AIFDA experienced significant organizational changes in 2025, including senior leadership departures, amid the Trump administration’s policy shifts. Approximately 3,500 FDA staff were slated for
layoffs beginning in April, raising concerns about the agency's review systems. Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s anti-vaccine stance led to internal tensions,
controversies and departures of senior vaccine officials.The agency is transforming itself — in December, it announced the deployment of agentic AI capabilities for all its employees. Agentic AI refers to advanced AI systems designed to achieve specific goals by planning, reasoning, and executing multi-step actions.VII. Sanofi-Alnylam’s Qfitlia becomes first approved RNAi med for hemophilia A, BFDA
approved Qfitlia (fitusiran) — the first RNA interface (RNAi) therapeutic for
treating rare bleeding disorders hemophilia A and B. Developed through a collaboration between Sanofi and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Qfitlia is indicated for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce bleeding episodes in hemophilia patients aged 12 and older.VIII. Astra-Daiichi Sankyo’s Datroway bags FDA nod for treating advanced lung, breast cancerAstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s precision drug Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan) won two key approvals in 2025. In January, Datroway received FDA approval for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or
metastatic hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. And in
June, it bagged accelerated approval for the treatment of an advanced form of non-small cell lung cancer in adults who had received prior treatment.IX. Novartis continues to forge deals; inks US$ 12 bn deal with
Avidity, US$ 2 bn deal with Arrowhead Following active deal-making in 2024, Novartis continued to make strategic acquisitions in 2025. It acquired US-based Avidity Biosciences for approximately US$ 12 billion to expand its rare muscle disorders portfolio. As part of the deal, Avidity will spin off its early-stage cardiology drug programs into a new publicly-traded company called SpinCo.Novartis also signed a licensing and options deal with China-based Argo Biopharmaceuticals worth up to US$ 5.2 billion for experimental cardiovascular drug candidates, and a US$ 2 billion licensing and collaboration agreement with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals for its preclinical neurodegenerative disease candidate. Novartis also agreed to buy Anthos Therapeutics, a drug development company majority-owned by investment firm Blackstone, for up to US$ 3.1 billion.X. Merck acquires Verona for US$ 10 billion; inks US$ 9.2 billion
deal to buy CidaraMerck acquired London‑based Verona Pharma for approximately US$ 10 billion as part of its strategy to
diversify ahead of the 2028 patent expiration of its cancer blockbuster,
Keytruda (pembrolizumab). Merck also agreed to acquire Cidara Therapeutics in a deal valued at
approximately US$ 9.2 billion, strengthening its infectious disease portfolio.
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