A year of two halves and what it means for life sciences in 2026

If I had to describe 2025 in one phrase, it would be this: a year of two halves, held together by uncertainty.

We started the year feeling lighter. There was a sense that things were moving again, that the industry was shaking off some of the heaviness of the last few years. And then, quietly, caution crept back in. Decision-making slowed. Budgets were revisited. Conversations became shorter-term again.

Not because innovation stopped. Not because the need disappeared. But because uncertainty has become part of the background noise of our sector.

The challenge now is not whether uncertainty exists. It is how we lead, invest and grow while it does.

What does a ‘new normal’ really mean for life sciences?

We talk about the new normal a lot, but the truth is, it keeps moving. The cycle of change is faster than it has ever been, driven by geopolitics, funding volatility, regulatory pressure and now AI.

In life sciences, that instability shows up early in the funnel. Funding hesitation in biotech creates a domino effect that ripples through CDMOs, suppliers and service partners. Add to that pricing pressure in the US, questions around tariffs, onshoring and supply chain resilience, and it’s no surprise leaders feel like they are constantly scanning the horizon.

The industry is not broken. It’s resetting.

Precision medicine is a good example. Smaller batches, targeted therapies and more complex pipelines are changing the economics of manufacturing and commercialization. Businesses built for scale are being asked to adapt to nuance. That’s uncomfortable. But it’s also where opportunity sits.

Are we moving from personalization to precision, everywhere?

Something interesting happens when you look across R&D, manufacturing and marketing at the same time. The same shift appears everywhere.

In the lab, we’re talking about precision medicine. In commercial strategy, we’re seeing the same thing emerge as precision marketing.

This isn’t about shouting louder or reaching more people. It’s about reaching the right people, with the right message, at the right moment. Sometimes that means focusing on 50 decision makers rather than 20,000 leads. It feels counterintuitive until you see the impact.

AI helps here, but it doesn’t replace thinking. It accelerates insight. It shows patterns. It surfaces signals. Humans still decide what to do with them.

What actually stays human in an AI-shaped world?

There is a lot of noise about AI replacing jobs. I think that misses the point.

AI will take on the ‘what’. The execution, the automation, the data processing. That’s inevitable. What it cannot replace is judgement, context, nuance and trust.

In regulated, high-stakes sectors like ours, that matters more than ever. Clients don’t just want outputs. They want interpretation. They want someone who understands their market, their buyers, their risk profile and their ambition.

The danger for agencies, and for internal teams, is clinging to work that is becoming commoditised instead of leaning into where human value actually sits. Strategy, insight, advisory and commercial impact are not optional extras anymore. They are the work.

Why does the word ‘marketing’ suddenly feel too small?

This might be uncomfortable to say, as the CEO of a marketing agency, but the word ‘marketing’ is starting to limit thinking.

Marketing is still essential. But when it’s framed purely as tactics, it undersells the role it plays in growth. Too often, marketing is expected to fix problems that actually sit in leadership alignment, positioning or internal culture.

Brand is not a logo or a campaign. It’s how people feel when they meet you, work with you, buy from you and advocate for you. That’s why conversations are shifting towards growth, commercial impact and brand as an operating system, not a surface layer.

Why are clients demanding more ROI, and why is that a good thing?

Budgets are under scrutiny. Negotiations are tougher. Expectations around ROI are sharper. That can feel uncomfortable, but it’s healthy.

Marketing without accountability doesn’t survive this era. The winners will be the teams and partners who can contextualise data, explain what it means and adjust course quickly. Reporting alone is not insight. Insight is what changes behavior.

This is where the blend of strategic thinking and execution becomes powerful. Not one or the other. Both.

What surprised me most in 2025? People

One of the most interesting signals this year has been the return of lapsed clients. Businesses that worked with us years ago, left, and came back.

Rarely is that about perfection. It is about experience. About trust. About feeling understood.

As AI accelerates execution, the human experience becomes the differentiator. People remember how you made them feel when things were hard, not just when things went well.

So what does 2026 ask of leaders?

Not optimism. Not pessimism. Attention.

2026 will reward leaders who stay alert, who resist settling into false certainty, and who build organizations capable of responding rather than reacting.

That means investing in talent differently. Upskilling teams. Letting go of outdated models. Getting the basics right so you can move quickly when needed.

It also means being honest about where value really sits. Tactical work will not disappear, but it will not differentiate you. Insight, judgement and the courage to advise rather than simply deliver will.

The industry is not heading back to the pre-2020 version of itself. And that is okay. If we pay attention, stay human and keep our nerve, there is real opportunity ahead.