SupplySide Global 2025 delivered the usual: shiny booth designs, ample education sessions, and copious amounts of gummy supplement samples. But beneath the noise, the event revealed something deeper. Across conversations, panels, and packed aisles, it became clear that the supplement industry is entering a decisive moment: the shift from broad wellness to precision health is accelerating, and the brands that win will be the ones that pair clinical rigor with functional creativity.
The Verb Biotics team showed up in full force, with leaders from biotechnology, R&D, marketing, supply chain, and sales each bringing their own perspective. Together, they gathered a wide spectrum of insights on what stood out, what surprised them, and where they believe the category is heading next. Keep reading for the Verb Biotics team’s SupplySide Global Insights.
Innovation Is Stalling While the Bar for Science Climbs
From a technology standpoint, the show highlighted just how much opportunity still exists for meaningful, scientifically-backed breakthroughs. Many of the “new” ingredients and bioactives on display reflected familiar concepts from years prior, but this also underscored a growing appetite for solutions that deliver truly differentiated science. This concept was captured well by Camille Delebecque, PhD, Verb’s Head of Biotechnology.
“Crisp science and strong clinical evidence are now the real currency of this industry. There is still little marketing differentiation or true MOA (mechanism of action) driven messaging.”
Science is no longer a nice-to-have. It is the assurance buyers are seeking, especially as budgets tighten. With the industry prioritizing credibility and clarity over hype, the path is wide open for brands that utilize advanced technology and science to drive targeted, MOA-driven solutions.
Verb’s Chief Scientific Officer, Noah Zimmerman, PhD, also noted the slowdown in innovation.
“True innovation is on hold as many companies wait to see where pricing and supply chain resilience land. ‘Made in the USA’ may be a respectable differentiator right now.”
In other words, the appetite for risk is low and the demand for validated outcomes is sky-high. Companies are scanning the horizon for safe bets as uncertainty in supply chain is causing some hesitation.
Precision Biotics Are Moving From Buzzword to Blueprint
Gut health was still (unsurprisingly) the category king, but its message is maturing. Instead of broad claims, biotic brands are now talking about targeted outcomes, such as metabolic balance and improved mental wellbeing. Celestia Howe, Verb’s Senior Director of Marketing, summed up this shift.
“The age of precision biotics is here. Longevity, metabolic health, and mental wellbeing were major sub-themes. This is the year of women’s health, yet we still know far too little about how hormones interact with neurotransmitters and the microbiome.”
This gap in women’s health was echoed repeatedly across the expo (including at our invite-only VerbLABS™ breakfast brief, ‘Menopause, Microbes, and the Mind!’) Brands know demand is exploding. What they don’t know is where to focus.
Diane Alexander, PhD, VP of Sales, also noticed this lack of clear focus for women’s health solutions.
“Most brands want women’s health solutions but are still trying to figure out what that actually means. Hormonal health? Stress and mood? Sleep? Beauty from within?”
The opportunity is enormous but remains undefined. The brands that can anchor targeted claims in MOA-driven science are the ones that will lead the next generation of products for women.
Formulation and Delivery Are Entering a New Creative Phase
Even though “pill fatigue” wasn’t the concern many expected, the desire for differentiation absolutely is. According to Kim Merselis, Verb’s Sales Manager, developers are searching for formats that make consumers stop and stare.
“Brands want new powders, functional snacks, and the next wave of gummies and gels. Not because consumers are tired of capsules, but because brands need to stand out on the shelf.”
Functionality is now the baseline. Format has become part of the storytelling. Brands need to differentiate or risk fading into the background as new generations look for innovation and novelty in their daily supplements.
Quality, Assurance, and Low-Risk Innovation Are Driving Decisions
When budgets tighten, trust becomes priceless. Angela Boyd, Verb’s Director of Supply Chain, captured the mood of the show from a Supply Chain perspective.
“Quality of products and partnerships matter more than ever. To convince someone to innovate right now, they need assurance that the product will deliver impact with minimal risk.”
The takeaway is clear. Innovation has to be matched with operational dependability, reinforcing Noah’s point that “made in the USA” could become a powerful differentiator as we head into 2026.
Where the Industry Is Heading
SupplySide Global 2025 made one thing unmistakably clear. We are entering a new cycle in the supplement industry. One that prizes:
- Precision over generalization
- Mechanisms over marketing fluff
- Format differentiation over formula redundancy
- Supply chain trust over adventurous sourcing
For Verb Biotics, this shift isn’t surprising. It’s exactly where we’ve been heading for years. Targeted bioactives driven by targeted MOA’s with clinically substantiated outcomes. Scalable and reliable production. All made to help brands innovate with clarity and confidence.
If SupplySide Global is any indication, precision biotics and evidence-based solutions are not the future. They are the new baseline.