Debut ads helped drive the list-toppers for pharma TV spending in February. New commercials in ongoing campaigns for some big drugs, including Pfizer's breast cancer drug Ibrance and Novartis' heart-failure med Entresto—and the media spend put behind them—helped push those brands into the top 10.
Other brand-new TV spots that fueled a rise to the top 10 were commercials featuring Celgene's anti-inflammatory Otezla, Lundbeck and Otsuka's psychiatric drug Rexulti, and Pfiizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb's clot-fighter Eliquis
AbbVie’s Humira and Pfizer’s Lyrica stayed in the same first and second spots as January, but both dropped spending in February by about $10 million each, according to data from real-time TV ad tracker iSpot.tv. Humira shrank to $26.6 million and Lyrica decreased to $25.1 million. All told, the top 10 spent $167 million for the month, down from $183 million in January.
Ibrance made its appearance in the top 10 for two likely reasons. The brand advertised heavily on the PyeongChang Winter Olympics—it was the second-highest pharma spender over the course of that event—and it added a second TV spot to its “New Normal” messaging, this time with a woman named Alice and her new normal days living life with metastatic breast cancer. The drug’s first-ever TV ad, “Julie’s New Normal” began airing last May. Although Ibrance was approved in 2015, it got its first competitor, last March, when Novartis’ Kisqali became the second approved CDK 4/6 inhibitor treatment.
1. Humira
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? AbbVie anti-inflammatory drug
Total estimated spending: $26.6 million (down from $36.7 million in January)
Number of spots: 10 (Four for arthritis, four for ulcerative colitis/Crohn's, two for psoriasis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Body of Proof” for ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s (est. $5.6 million)
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ADg0/humira-body-of-proof
2. Lyrica
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? Pfizer seizure and pain drug
Total estimated spending: $25.1 million (down from $35.8 million in January)
Number of spots: Four
Biggest-ticket ad: “Babysitter” (est. $7.6 million)
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wBqo/lyrica-babysitter
3. Keytruda
Movement: Up from No. 10
What is it? Merck’s PD-L1 cancer fighter
Total estimated spending: $18.4 million (up from $11.6 million in January)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “It’s TRU: Donna’s Story”
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/w_y8/keytruda-its-tru-donnas-story-living-longer-is-possible
4. Ibrance
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Pfizer’s metastatic breast cancer fighter
Total estimated spending: $16.5 million
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Julie’s New Normal” ($12.3 million)
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wITp/ibrance-julies-new-normal
5. Victoza
Movement: Down from No. 3
What is it? Novo Nordisk GLP-1 agonist
Total estimated spending: $16.1 million (down from $18.2 million in January)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest ticket ad: “Type 2 Diabetes” (est. $9.5 million)
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/w_st/victoza-type-2-diabetes
6. Xeljanz XR
Movement: Down from No. 5
What is it? Pfizer oral rheumatoid arthritis therapy
Total estimated spending: $15.7 million (up from $14.7 million in January)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Family Beach Day” (est. $12 million)
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wDxK/xeljanz-xr-family-beach-day
7. Otezla
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Celgene's oral treatment for plaque psoriasis
Total estimated spending: $13.7 million
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Little Things Can Be a Big Deal”
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wata/otezla-little-things-can-be-a-big-deal
8. Entresto
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Novartis heart failure treatment
Total estimated spending: $12.8 million
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Your Heart Doesn’t Only Belong To You”
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/w3zJ/entresto-your-heart-doesnt-only-belong-to-you
9. Rexulti
Last month: Up from No. 10
What is it? Otsuka and Lundbeck’s antipsychotic
Total estimated spending: $11.6 million
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Living Behind the Mask”
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/waMh/rexulti-living-behind-the-mask
10. Eliquis
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb anticoagulant
Total estimated spending: $10.1 million
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “No Matter Where I Ride” (est. $5.6 million)