A year into tracking pharma TV ad spending with data provided by iSpot.tv, FiercePharmaMarketing is ready to declare a “winner.” No surprises here though: It’s AbbVie’s Humira.
AbbVie has dropped more than $288 million on Humira TV ads for the year we followed from September through the end of August, according to data from realtime TV ad tracker iSpot.
That includes spending across its three indications for arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn's disease/colitis, with arthritis spending the highest at $144 million, or half of the total. Crohn’s and colitis spending were next at $104 million, followed by Humira’s indication for psoriasis at $40.3 million.
Other top TV spenders included Pfizer’s pain drug Lyrica at $193.2 million for the 12-month period; Eli Lilly’s erectile dysfunction treatment Cialis at $145.6 million; and Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s anticoagulant Eliquis at $140.2 million.
Looking only at August, Humira and Lyrica ranked first and second, respectively, with last month’s new entrant Pfizer’s Xeljanz staying at No. 3 on the strength of spending on a new TV ad that promotes the availability of Xeljanz XR once-daily pill.
TV pharma spending during the August Olympic Games helped boost the list this month, with several Summer Games’ advertisers making the top 10, including Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 diabetes treatment Victoza; Bayer and Johnson & Johnson anticoagulant Xarelto; and Lundbeck and Takeda's antidepressant Trintellix.
Media-besieged EpiPen maker Mylan, another Olympic Games advertiser, made the list at No. 9, although it stopped running its TV ads--an unbranded anaphylaxis awareness ad and branded EpiPen ads--at the end of August, likely because of the pricing controversy.
1. Humira
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? AbbVie anti-inflammatory drug
Total estimated spending: $26.9M (down from $34.5 in July)
Number of spots: 6 (2 for arthritis, 2 for ulcerative colitis/Crohn's, 2 for psoriasis)
Biggest-ticket ad: "Go Further” for arthritis (est. $8.1M)
2. Lyrica
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? Pfizer seizure and pain drug
Total estimated spending: $26.2M (up from $19.6M in July)
Number of spots: 6
Biggest-ticket ad: "Keep the Beat Going" (est. $9.1M)
3. Xeljanz XR
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? Pfizer’s second-line, oral rheumatoid arthritis therapy
Total estimated spending $21.9M (up from $15.9M in July)
Number of spots: 1
Ad: "Mother”
4. Xarelto
Movement: Not in top 10 last month
What is it? Bayer’s clot-fighter
Total estimated spending: $16.74M
Number of spots: 2
Biggest-ticket ad: “Jerry West in High Risk of Stroke” (est. $16.71M)
5. Victoza
Movement: Up from No. 8 last month
What is it? Novo Nordisk GLP-1 treatment
Total estimated spending: $13.9M (up from $8.9M in July)
Number of spots: 2
Biggest-ticket ad: "Dominique Wilkins in Moment of Truth” (est. $11.9M)
6. Eliquis
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb anticoagulant
Total estimated spending: $11.9M (up from $11M in July)
Number of spots: 3
Biggest-ticket ad: "DVT and PE Blood Clots" (est. $6.4M)
7. Trintellix
Movement: Not on top 10 list last month
What is it? Takeda and Lundbeck antidepressant
Total estimated spending: $10.7M
Number of spots: 2
Biggest-ticket ad: “More Than Sadness: Hers” (est. $5.4M)
8. Merck disease awareness ads (HPV vaccinations and shingles)
Movement: Down from No. 7 last month
What is it? Unbranded ads (Merck markets HPV vaccine Gardasil and shingles vaccine Zostavax)
Total estimated spending: $9.5M (down from $9.9M in July)
Number of spots: 4
Biggest-ticket ad: “HPV Vaccination” (est. $7.3M)
9. Mylan for unbranded disease awareness and branded EpiPen ads
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? Unbranded for anaphylaxis awareness and branded for auto-injected epinephrine EpiPen
Total estimated spending: $8.4M (down from $8.5M in July)
Number of spots: 5
Biggest-ticket ad: “Allergic Reactions” (est. $4.8M)
10. Tresiba
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s longer-acting insulin
Total estimated spending: $8.3M (down from $8.4M in July)
Number of spots: 2
Biggest-ticket ad: "Ready” (est. $6.7M)
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