Issue #113 – Consumer Trends 2025: What’s Next?

As the world continues to change, so do consumer priorities, blending moral values with the need for basic essentials. Brands need to stay adaptable, aligning with these shifting perspectives to remain relevant and build trust. 

Here are some key trends shaping how people live, connect, and consume and how companies in women’s health and healthtech can adapt:

👯 The Power of Community

Consumers are seeking deeper connections, driven by a desire to face the unknown together. Communities will thrive in hybrid spaces that merge digital and physical interactions, creating opportunities for brands to foster stronger, meaningful relationships. While online platforms continue to expand, localism and in-person engagement will play a crucial role in fulfilling the human need for belonging.

Key Insight: The pandemic accelerated feelings of loneliness, highlighting the need for brands to balance AI-driven solutions with human self-expression.

Brands that align with consumer values, promote self-expression, and address real-life challenges will stand out in a changing world.

AI and Consumer Trust

The rise of generative AI is reshaping industries, but it’s also disrupting job markets and altering perceptions of talent and self-worth. For brands, building trust means ensuring AI solutions genuinely enhance human creativity and productivity, without amplifying social isolation.

Key insights : Brands will have to adopt a balanced approach to AI, ensuring it supports human self-expression to mitigate the risk of increased social isolation.

Health and Beauty Evolution

Weight-loss drugs and cosmetic surgery are becoming normalized, reflecting shifting beauty standards. Consumers will demand greater transparency, safety, and long-term health benefits from brands in these sectors.

Consumer Voices:

• 20% of Saudi Arabian adults see appetite-suppressing diabetes drugs as viable weight-loss solutions.

• Wellness is no longer a luxury—it’s an expectation, shaping the future of health and beauty markets.

Trends shaping Consumer Behavior 

Environmental shifts, tech advances, and demographic changes are impacting consumer choices. Climate change, migration, and aging populations are driving decisions from property purchases to healthcare needs.

With Baby Boomers remaining active later in life and Gen Alpha demanding attention, intergenerational tensions are emerging. Aging societies are also increasing the demand for preventive healthcare and long-term care solutions.

The normalization of medical weight loss and body modifications is challenging traditional beauty standards. Brands in health and beauty need to align with wellness, transparency, and inclusivity.

What It Means for Brands

To stay relevant, brands must:

✔️ Build hybrid communities for collaboration and connection.

✔️ Align with consumer values and expectations.

✔️ Address immediate needs while focusing on long-term health and sustainability.

✔️ Embrace technology responsibly, ensuring transparency and trust.

Consumers are no longer just passively experiencing change—they are acutely aware of its impact on their daily lives. Brands must respond by offering solutions that go beyond surface-level commitments. Products that deliver tangible benefits while addressing moral and environmental concerns will stand out.

The future will require a delicate balance between offering practical, functional solutions and ensuring transparency, safety, and accessibility in products and services.

• Amazon to launch quick commerce deliveries in India amid boom in segment 
•  Meta warns against holiday shopping scams 
•  Lawsuit accuses major food companies of marketing ‘addictive’ food to kids 
•  Consumer panel tells cosmetic brand to pay up for misleading claim on package
• Urban consumers prioritize novelty: 34% eye new products, 40% seek innovation: NielsenIQ

• Anise Health, a digital mental health platform focused on culturally-responsive care for Asian Americans, has announced a $3M seed funding round led by Kicker Ventures.
• Capstan Medical, a Santa Cruz, CA-based developer of robotic-enabled minimally invasive solutions to address heart valve disease, raised $110M in Series C funding.
• Tuva Health, a NYC-based company providing an open-source healthcare data transformation platform, raised $5M in Seed funding.The round was led by Virtue, with participation from Box Group and Y Combinator, and health tech angel investors.
• Pleno, a San Diego, CA-based clinical and multi-omics diagnostics company, raised $25M in Series B funding. Backers included Deerfield Management, Foresite Capital and Medical Excellence Capital.
• Biotechnology companies Chroma Medicine (Boston, MA) and Nvelop Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA) announced their merger and subsequent launch of nChroma Bio to expand the R&D of the genetic medicines sector.
• Veradermics, a New Haven, CT-based clinical-stage aesthetics and dermatology-focused biopharmaceutical company, raised $75M in Series B funding.
• Angitia Biopharmaceuticals, a Woodland Hills, CA-based biotech focused on serious musculoskeletal diseases, raised $120M in Series C funding. The round was led by Bain Capital Life Sciences with participation from Janus Henderson and OrbiMed, 3H Health Investment, Yonghua Capital, Legend Capital, and Elikon Venture.
• Ambrosia Biosciences, a Boulder, CO-based drug discovery company, raised $25M in Series A funding

• A novel ultrasound technology is being used to accurately measure and monitor breast density, and in the process improve early detection rates and assess how at risk individual women might be from developing the disease.
• A clinical trial has shown that patients with intermediate-risk breast cancer had similar rates of ten-year overall survival whether or not they underwent chest wall irradiation (CWI) after mastectomy.
  
• Women’s health company Daré Bioscience has announced that additional data from the exploratory Phase 2b RESPOND clinical study of Sildenafil Cream, an investigational topical cream formulation of sildenafil being developed as an on-demand treatment for female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD), has shown positive results.
• Too much screen time can sabotage preschoolers’ sleep, potentially turning them into terrors around the house, a new study warns.Bad sleep can exacerbate children’s struggles with poor attention, hyperactivity and moodiness, researchers reported Dec. 12 in the journal Early Child Development and Care.
• Some early breast cancer patients can safely avoid specific surgeries, according to two studies exploring ways to lessen treatment burdens.
• A blood draw is a typical part of a person’s regular check-up.But that blood sample might hold a lot more useful information about a person’s health than doctors are currently getting. A new study shows that a routine part of a blood test called the complete blood count (CBC) could be used to help doctors identify or predict many different diseases, including heart problems, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and kidney disease, researchers reported
• Unhealthy ultra-processed foods have wormed their way into American kitchens, likely harming people’s health for decades, a new study warns. More than half of the calories adults eat at home now come from ultra-processed foods, which contain high levels of sugar, salt, fat and other additives, and have been linked to heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• Seniors who want to stay sharp as they age should hit the treadmill, elliptical or exercise bike as often as possible.A new study shows that better cardio fitness in older age is linked to healthier brain aging.
• Genital herpes is widespread the world round among younger adults, with more than 846 million people living with the lifelong sexually transmitted infection, a new review finds. About 1 in 5 people younger than 50 live with a genital herpes infection, researchers reported Dec. 10 in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.
• Want to give your brain a boost for tomorrow?Get in a little pulse-pounding exercise today, a new study shows. In a finding that suggests the benefits of exercise may linger longer than believed, researchers discovered that middle-aged adults and seniors perform better on memory tests even a full day after they’ve had some moderate to vigorous physical activity.
• Ableism, or prejudice against people with disabilities, is an established problem in general healthcare. Now, a small study shows those same issues persist in mental healthcare.
• Women worried about losing their locks during chemotherapy can safely take hair-loss drugs during breast cancer care, a new study says. Minoxidil – the active ingredient in the over-the-counter Rogaine — is commonly prescribed for hair loss, but is also used to dilate blood vessels as a treatment for high blood pressure.
• More breast cancers are being detected later in women, giving the tumors a chance to spread and become life-threatening, a new study finds.This increase in late-stage breast cancer affects women at all ages and ethnicities, according to results published Dec. 10 in the journal Radiology.
• Fatty, salty and sugary ultra-processed foods could be increasing people’s risk of colon cancer by spurring chronic inflammation in the gut. In a new study, colon tumors taken from people with poor diets had higher levels of pro-inflammatory biochemicals, as well as lower levels of substances that reduce inflammation and promote healing, researchers reported Dec. 10 in the journal Gut.
• People with diabetes who are taking GLP-1 meds such as Ozempic or Mounjaro may be getting an added bonus: Reductions in their odds for a dangerous blood clot, new research finds. The study found that folks with diabetes who were using the drugs lowered their odds for a form of clot called venous thromboembolism (VTE) by 20%, compared to people taking another type of diabetes drug.

• Arvinas, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, and Pfizer Inc. announced preliminary data from the ongoing phase 1b portion of the TACTIVE-U sub-study of vepdegestrant in combination with abemaciclib among patients with locally advanced or metastatic estrogen receptor positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer. 
• Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company with a robust and diversified portfolio of commercial and early to late-stage products, has announced that its partner, Moberg Pharma AB, issued a news release stating that MOB-015, a product for the treatment of nail fungus, did not meet the primary endpoint in the North American phase 3 study being conducted by Moberg.
• Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company with a robust and diversified portfolio of commercial and early to late-stage products, has announced that its partner, Moberg Pharma AB, issued a news release stating that MOB-015, a product for the treatment of nail fungus, did not meet the primary endpoint in the North American phase 3 study being conducted by Moberg.
• Akoya Biosciences, Inc., the spatial biology company, and NeraCare, a leading developer of laboratory tests for the prognosis of melanoma, announced an exclusive global license agreement to develop and commercialize NeraCare’s Immunoprint test on Akoya’s multiplexed immunofluorescent platform.
• Zeno Health, India’s leading omnichannel platform for quality and affordable generic medicines, recently launched its 181st store in Goregaon, Mumbai, further strengthening its presence. 
• Novartis has announced updated analysis from its Phase III NATALEE trial showing that Kisqali (ribociclib) continues to demonstrate sustained reduction in distant recurrence when combined with endocrine therapy.

• The Union Ministry of Ayush has notified amendment to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 adding French Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia and the European Pharmacopoeia under the standards on which the imports and manufacturing of homoeopathic drugs will be allowed in the country. It has also added books on Homoeopathic and Sowa-Rigpa systems of medicines in the first schedule of the Act.
• Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is devised to ensure that all individuals have access to the health services without facing financial hardship. This requires robust infrastructure and advanced technology to deliver patient-centric care.
• The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow into the pharmaceutical sector has reported multifold growth during the first half of 2024-25, after registering a 48 per cent decline in the fiscal 2023-24 as compared to the previous year.
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has launched the enhanced eCoO 2.0 system. The new system, aimed at simplifying the issuance of Preferential Certificates of Origin (CoO), will play a crucial role in boosting India’s pharmaceutical exports, especially as the global demand for Indian medicines continues to rise.

📳 – Quick Reads: 

• Is it true that … we should all drink more water? Do we really need to gulp down eight glasses of water a day – or is it a myth? We ask an expert
• Exercising for 30 minutes improves memory, study suggests Research shows walk or cycle improves cognitive performance for day ahead – and day after. 
• Makeup, fragrance and hair dye use in pregnancy leads to more PFAS in breast milk – study ‘Forever chemicals’ pose health threat to developing children and linked with preterm birth, shorter lactation

See you next Friday, friends 👋
Navneet

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