As healthcare has evolved significantly in recent years, we expect a number of medical breakthroughs in 2025, which we learn about in this report.
With developments in artificial intelligence, telemedicine and biotechnology, healthcare and its delivery will be reshaped.
These are the most prominent and influential developments and trends in the field of health care during the coming year.
1- Amazing weight loss medications
Following the huge success of the “miracle” drug Wijovi (Semaglutide) and other glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, 2025 is likely to bring results and approvals for a new wave of treatments targeting obesity. Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Indiana, will conclude a phase 3 trial of its oral pill, Orforglipron, to evaluate its long-term safety in people with type 2 diabetes. The drug is easier to produce and may be cheaper than current treatments, according to a report in the journal Nature.
Trials of Eli Lilly’s triple-action drug, Retatrutide, will continue throughout 2025. In its Phase 2 trial, Retatrutide showed unprecedented efficacy, with people taking the highest dose experiencing a 24.2% weight loss over 11 months ( Currently available medications tend to achieve weight loss of 15-20% over a similar period). Another company, Amgen in Thousand Oaks, California, is preparing to conduct a phase 3 trial of its drug Maritide, which can be taken monthly and targets two pathways involved in blood sugar control and metabolism.
Researchers will continue to explore the potential of GLP-1 agonists to treat other diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and addiction.
2- Treating pain
The year 2025 may mark a turning point in how pain is treated. US regulators are expected to complete a review of a non-opioid painkiller called Suzetrigine in January. If approved, the drug developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Massachusetts, will be part of the first new class of drugs to treat acute pain in more than 20 years.
3- The next epidemic
March 2025 will mark 5 years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused millions of deaths, forced widespread lockdowns, and spurred the rapid development and distribution of vaccines.
The world is still learning how to prepare for and prevent future pandemics, and WHO member states have missed the original June 2024 deadline to agree on a global pandemic treaty. The talks have reached an impasse over disagreements over rules for sharing samples and genomic sequences of pathogens, and the use of technologies that could help low- and middle-income countries quickly produce vaccines, medicines and test kits during pandemics.
Member states now aim to finalize the text of the agreement by May 2025. These efforts come at a crucial time: in August, the World Health Organization updated its list of pathogens that could lead to the next pandemic to include more than 30 microorganisms. , including viruses that cause influenza, dengue fever, and monkeypox.
4- The personal health care revolution
In 2025, personalized healthcare is about more than precision medicine. It’s about harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and data to address every aspect of a patient’s unique needs, Bernard Marr writes for Forbes.
There will be a focus on encouraging hard-to-reach populations to connect with healthcare providers. This personal touch will help move healthcare delivery away from reactive preventive measures – reducing the burden on society caused by rising healthcare costs while also improving patient outcomes – a win-win scenario.
5- Predicting the future
Artificial intelligence will continue to transform the way healthcare systems plan and respond to wide-ranging challenges, from future pandemics to health crises caused by war, famine and climate change. In 2025, decision-makers will have more data and tools at their fingertips than ever before, all of which will be essential when it comes to understanding global trends affecting human health. This will include addressing the needs of aging populations in developed countries, and the increasing health care requirements of growing populations in developing parts of the world.
6- Technology in mental health
The new generation of technology solutions will revolutionize the delivery of mental healthcare services. This will include virtual healthcare sessions delivered remotely in a virtual or augmented reality environment by human therapists.
We will also see the increasing use of chatbots that can provide instant support 24/7. These technologies will help mental health care providers overcome a number of challenges, including the availability of resources and the stigma sometimes associated with seeking help for mental health problems. As this area of healthcare becomes an increasing priority for providers, these technological solutions will enable greater access and more timely interventions.
7- Wearable devices
Implantable devices such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) represent the next generation of wearable health technology devices. Even if you’re not quite ready to start connecting chips to your cerebral cortex, you can expect to see growing discussion, excitement, and buzz around the topic in 2025. From chronic pain management to epilepsy and paralysis, this technology shows promise for solving a number of healthcare challenges that negatively impact people. The lives of millions of people. However, it also raises many ethical questions, such as who owns the data our brains generate?
8- Genomics…deciphering the secrets of life
Genomics and gene editing are perhaps the most exciting and ethically challenging areas of healthcare innovation. Technologies such as CRISPR are increasingly moving from the laboratory to real-world (human) clinical application, enabling the development of targeted treatments for many genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, and muscular dystrophy, that were once thought to be infeasible. To heal. In 2025, we will see continued research into its effects on cancer and cardiovascular disease, thanks to the ability of this pioneering technology to treat these life-threatening conditions at the molecular level.
9- The explosion in the volume of health data
From our medical records to genetic information and data collected from wearable devices, all of this is driving rapid progress in healthcare science. However, it is a double-edged sword, as the more organizations and agencies we allow access to our valuable and highly sensitive information, the greater the risk of it being stolen or misused.
Our health data is an extremely valuable target for cybercriminals, and many problems can occur due to it falling into the wrong hands, from identity theft today to future problems that cannot even be predicted tomorrow.
Developing strategies to secure our information, and protect society from this imminent threat, will be a critical priority for the healthcare industry in 2025.
10- Solving the technical skills crisis in health care
All this potential for precision diagnosis, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery will be thwarted if there aren’t enough skilled people to make it happen. A recent survey on the challenges of digital transformation in healthcare found that lack of specific skills and talent are the biggest obstacles to taking advantage of the opportunities created by new technology.
In 2025, we will see the healthcare industry and health providers trying to address this by investing in training and retraining and partnering with the technology industry. All of this will be essential if we are to realize the enormous benefits of artificial intelligence and biotechnology.