New Drugs and Drug News of 2025

Key Message: Participants will apply knowledge of new FDA-approved drugs and dosage formulations from 2025 to evaluate their indications, potential adverse effects, drug interactions, and appropriate integration into hospice and palliative care plans .

Abstract: Up to 100 new drugs and dosage formulations are approved every year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some of these are new molecular entities, while others are new formulations, new indications, generic drug approvals or labeling revisions. Even if a drug is a “new” molecular entity, it may not be “improved” over molecular entities already commercially available. In caring for patients with a serious illness, practitioners must make prudent drug therapy choices. Part of this decision-making process is a careful assessment of the burden-to-benefit ratio, including the financial burden of using each medication.
This concurrent session builds on last year’s highly attended drug update, offering new insights into recently approved medications and their relevance to hospice and palliative care. For relevant drugs approved in 2025, participants will apply knowledge of FDA-approved indications to assess their clinical relevance and appropriate use in hospice and palliative care Participants will evaluate unapproved uses of newly approved medications—particularly in hospice and palliative care—by assessing controlled substance status and schedule (if applicable), potential adverse effects, major drug interactions, appropriate dosing, and financial implications related to procurement and monitoring. Participants will compare newly approved medications with existing therapies to determine their relative advantages, limitations, and clinical implications for use in hospice and palliative care.
Participants will evaluate new medication indications to determine their appropriateness and applicability in the care of patients living with serious illness. Participants will apply clinical reasoning to determine whether to continue medications with new indications when a patient’s goals of care have shifted. Participants will analyze public health advisories and drug-related alerts relevant to serious illness care and apply this information to prevent inappropriate medication use and optimize symptom management in hospice and palliative care settings. This is a session that every health care professional needs to attend!

References: Food and Drug Administration. Novel Drug Approvals for 2025. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/novel-drug-approvals-fda/novel-drug-approvals-2025. Accessed 7-9-25

GoodRx. FDA approval watch: new drugs, vaccines, and therapies pending approval in 2025. https://www.goodrx.com/drugs/news/upcoming-fda-approvals?srsltid=AfmBOoqLgVz44-fWe6OZkTP4bd94_W0ox34iQ6fD5qaVnTdpUmUxp1ow. Accessed 7-9-25

Rim MH, Dean C, Aliaj E, et al. Recent and anticipated novel drug approvals (2Q2025 through 1Q2026). American J of Health-System Pharmacy. June 3, 2025.
https://academic.oup.com/ajhp/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ajhp/zxaf147/8155658?redirectedFrom=fulltext. Accessed 7-9-25

BioChemPeg. Top blockbuster drugs to watch for in 2025. https://www.biochempeg.com/article/425.html. Accessed 7-9-25