For the third year in a row, the hundreds of millions of dollars poured into commercials for AbbVie’s immunology blockbusters have earned the Big Pharma the top spot on the year’s list of the top TV drug ad spenders.
Not only did AbbVie’s Skyrizi claim first place in the full-year ranking with nearly $377 million spent on 20 separate ads for the drug, according to iSpot.TV’s analysis, but, with two other drugs in the top 10, the company was far and away the biggest TV drug ad spender of 2024.
In a carbon copy of 2023’s results, the 2024 list features AbbVie’s Skyrizi and Rinvoq in the top two spots, followed by yet another immunology giant, Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent, in third place. Rinvoq's total estimated spending came in about $40 million behind Skyrizi's total last year, according to iSpot.TV, while Dupixent's total was about $100 million lower than Skyrizi's.
The same trio also reigned supreme in the 2022 roundup, albeit in a jumbled order that put Rinvoq at the top and Dupixent close behind.
In the fourth spot in 2024 was a newcomer to the list, as Novo Nordisk decided to hold off on traditional TV advertising for its obesity juggernaut Wegovy in 2023. That wasn't the case in 2024, when the Danish drugmaker poured more than $260 million into four commercials for the med.
Holding steady at No. 5 was Rexulti. Last year, Lundbeck and Otsuka significantly stepped up their spending on the neurology offering’s TV presence, throwing more than $223 million behind six ads—half in major depressive disorder and half in Alzheimer’s disease—compared to 2023’s total spend of just under $145 million.
Next up, Tremfya made a triumphant return to the 2024 roundup after falling off the rankings in 2023. The med's return came thanks to Johnson & Johnson’s more than tripling of its annual investment in TV ads for the immunology drug, from $51 million in 2023 to more than $160 million last year.
The next two entries on the list, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction. Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes drug Jardiance fell from No. 4 to No. 7 year over year, while Wegovy’s sister drug Ozempic—coincidentally, also for diabetes—slipped from seventh to eighth on the list.
The ninth spot went to another returning entry: AstraZeneca’s Breztri Aerosphere, which missed out on 2023’s ranking with only $70 million in spending, made it in 2024 thanks to nearly $124 million put into two TV spots for the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment.
AbbVie returned to round out the top 10 list, with just under $118 million spent on TV commercials for Vraylar, which is used to treat bipolar disorder and depression and which had previously sat at No. 8 on the 2023 version of this list.
As for where, exactly, the pharmas sent their pricey TV ads, according to iSpot.TV, the most popular networks by spending for the top 10 drugs included NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS. Their top individual TV programs, meanwhile, were split between two targets: the NFL and ABC's "World News Tonight with David Muir."
In total, the drugmakers poured more than $2.13 billion into TV ads for the top 10 drugs in 2024—a solid jump over 2023’s $1.94 billion total.
Read on for the full data behind the year’s 10 biggest pharma ad spenders, as compiled by iSpot.TV.
1. Skyrizi
Movement: No change vs. 2023
What is it? AbbVie’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $376.7 million (down from $396.3 million in 2023)
Number of spots: 20 (10 psoriasis, six Crohn’s/ulcerative colitis, four psoriatic arthritis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Sailing” (est. $89.3 million)
2. Rinvoq
Movement: No change vs. 2023
What is it? AbbVie’s JAKi immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $337.8 million (down from $364.4 million in 2023)
Number of spots: 15 (six arthritis, six ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s, three eczema)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Just Okay: Hiker and Event Planner” (est. $49.3 million)
3. Dupixent
Movement: No change vs. 2023
What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $276 million (down from $315.3 million in 2023)
Number of spots: 17 (eight eczema, eight asthma, one gastrointestinal)
Biggest-ticket ad: “This Is Better” (est. $60.3 million)
4. Wegovy
Movement: N/A – Didn’t advertise on national linear TV in 2023
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 agonist for obesity
Est. national TV ad spend: $261.5 million (up from $0 in 2023)
Number of spots: Four
Biggest-ticket ad: “Discover the Power” (est. $185.7 million)
5. Rexulti
Movement: No change vs. 2023
What is it? Lundbeck and Otsuka’s neurology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $223.6 million (up from $144.6 million in 2023)
Number of spots: Six (three depression, three Alzheimer’s)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Journey” (est. $31.7 million)
6. Tremfya
Movement: Not in the top 10 in 2023
What is it? Johnson & Johnson’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $160.8 million (up from $51.1 million in 2023)
Number of spots: Eight (one ulcerative colitis, seven psoriasis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Break Away” (est. $73 million)
7. Jardiance
Movement: Down three spots from No. 4 in 2023
What is it? Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $131.7 million (down from $150.2 million in 2023)
Number of spots: Six (five diabetes, one chronic kidney disease)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Musical: Office” (est. $72 million)
8. Ozempic
Movement: Down one spot from No. 7 in 2023
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 agonist for diabetes
Est. national TV ad spend: $124.4 million (down from $134.1 million in 2023)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Discover the Ozempic Tri-Zone: Boxing” (est. $76.3 million)
9. Breztri Aerosphere
Movement: Not in the top 10 in 2023
What is it? AstraZeneca’s respiratory therapy
Est. national TV ad spend: $123.5 million (up from $70.1 million in 2023)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Road Trip” (est. $84.7 million)
10. Vraylar
Movement: Down two spots from No. 8 in 2023
What is it? AbbVie’s bipolar and MDD drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $117.7 million (down from $130.7 million in 2023)
Number of spots: Six (four depression, two bipolar)
Biggest-ticket ad: “A Lift: Home” (est. $48.9 million)