The trend: The FDA’s recent crackdown on pharma TV advertising could disproportionately affect Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers, per a recent Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) report.

How we got here: President Trump recently directed federal health agencies to increase pharma TV advertising enforcement and to force drugmakers to disclose every side effect. The FDA followed up with 40 cease and desist letters on TV drug ads. Pharma marketers will have to change the ads, spend extensive time and money to change them, or pull them off the air.

Zooming in: Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers are being diagnosed with medical conditions at higher rates and are more likely to act after seeing healthcare advertising on TV.

• Between 2021-2024, diagnoses increased 11% for Black consumers, 14% for Hispanic consumers, and 18% for Asian consumers compared with 9% for all US adults, per VAB.
• Pharma TV ads have an outsized influence with 39% of Black consumers, 40% of Hispanic consumers, and 35% of Asian consumers, compared to 34% of all adults, who take action after seeing TV ads.