The news: The FDA sent another batch of warning letters to pharma marketers about D2C ads and healthcare professional (HCP) campaigns.

Catch up quick: President Trump directed federal health agencies in September to crack down on D2C drug advertising on TV and online channels like social media.

• The FDA then sent at least 40 untitled warning letters to TV advertisers alleging false or misleading information in the commercials. The agency directed marketers to either defend the charges or remove the ads from the airwaves.
• The FDA also sent thousands of general information letters to pharma companies, noting it intends to take aggressive action going forward to curb noncompliant ads. The letter calls out social media where “deceptive advertising is the norm.”

Zooming in: The newest warning letters include HCP sales materials and websites.

• Evolus’ received a letter from the FDA for its frown line treatment Jeuveau, which was cited for an HCP newsletter that the FDA claims includes misleading claims and minimizes the drug risks.
• Amgen received a letter claiming its HCP website for small cell lung cancer drug Imdelltra contains misleading information about patient responses.
• Takeda was cited for allegedly misleading doctors on its Iclusig leukemia drug website by misrepresenting trial results and calling it a preferred drug.

Why it matters: Pharma marketers depend on HCP promotions to reach prescribers, especially as in-person sales rep visits to doctors’ offices or hospitals are increasingly restricted.

• More than three-quarters (77%) of physicians agreed they receive some useful information from pharma marketers, according to a recently published study in JAMA Health Forum.
• We forecast healthcare and pharma companies will spend $2.11 billion on B2B digital advertising in 2025, an increase of 10.7% YoY. That’s up from $630 million in 2019.

Our take: The Trump administration is now cracking down harder on pharmaceutical advertising, including campaigns aimed at doctors—signaling a stricter review of all prescription drug promotion, not just what consumers see.

Marketers should prepare for more intense medical and legal review checks, but also expand beyond brand messaging rather than pullback on the key HCP prescriber audience.

Drugmakers need to build out HCP communications with more personalized, patient-focused messaging:

• Personalized, on-demand digital content, like short videos and interactive clinical trial results, can complement traditional sales rep calls and branded websites.
• Offering patient education, affordability, and support resources strengthens pharma's value to physicians as clinical partners, not just product promoters.