AbbVie’s Rinvoq took December’s TV drug ad spend crown, and its fierce rival in Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent was in second place as both replicated their November positions but spent less than the month before.
That’s according to the latest data out by real-time trackers at iSpot.TV. The consultancy’s data show JAK inhibitor Rinvoq stayed on top month over month with spend hitting a decent $40.6 million, though this was substantially down from the huge $55.8 million AbbVie spend on TV ads for the drug in November.
Dupixent, meanwhile, saw Sanofi and Regeneron shell out $23.1 million last month, slightly down from the $25.4 million they coughed up in November but nearly half of what AbbVie funneled into Rinvoq’s ads over the holiday period.
And, unusually for the final podium position—which typically has gone to AbbVie’s other immunology blockbuster Skyrizi—we see a HIV drug in third in the form of ViiV Healthcare’s Dovato, up five spots from November with a sizable spend of $18.5 million for the month.
This may be linked to World AIDS day, which occurred Dec. 1, and may also explain why we’ve seen another HIV drug in the top 10, again an unusual placing in 2022, with GSK’s Cabenuva in sixth place, having not placed at all last month.
In fourth we see the perennial Skyrizi. That's one spot down from its normal third place. In fifth is top 10 stalwart Ozempic, the injectable GLP-1 diabetes drug from Novo Nordisk.
After Cabenuva in sixth we have Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes treatment Jardiance, up two spots from November with a respectable $14.5 million spend.
In eighth is another unusual entry into the top 10 with Roche’s multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus, with the Swiss pharma more than doubling its spend on the drug, paying out $12.7 million in December, up from $6.2 million the month before.
In at No. 9 is Novo’s oral GLP-1 diabetes drug Rybelsus, while No. 10 is Opzelura, Incyte’s new dermatology drug: the first time this treatment has shown up in iSpot’s data.
Total spend for the top 10 in December hit $164.9 million, a hard downturn from November’s $202 million total. It is, however, almost exactly the same spend we saw in September and around $30 million higher than the totals seen over the first half of 2022, as pharma ended the second half of the year on a stronger footing when it came to TV ad spend.
Check out the top 10 below.
1. Rinvoq
Movement: No change
What is it? AbbVie JAK inhibitor immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $40.6 million (down from $55.8 million in November)
Number of spots: Four (two eczema, one arthritis, one UC)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Standup to Your Symptoms” (est. $16.3 million)
2. Dupixent
Movement: No change
What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $23.1 million (down from $25.4 million in November)
Number of spots: Six (four eczema, two asthma)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Du More: Kick Boxing” (est. $9.3 million)
3. Dovato
Movement: Up 5 spots
What is it? ViiV HIV drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $18.5 million (up from $14.1 million in November)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Detect This” (est. $8.9 million)
4. Skyrizi
Movement: Down 1 spot
What is it? AbbVie immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $16.9 million (down from $21.1 million in November)
Number of spots: Three (two psoriasis, one psoriatic arthritis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Restaurant” (est. $11.4 million)
5. Ozempic
Movement: No change
What is it? Novo Nordisk GLP-1 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $15.6 million (up from $15.5 million in November)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Ozempic Tri-zone” (est. $12.3 million)
6. Cabenuva
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? GSK HIV drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $14.5 million (up from $10.2 million in November)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “A Different Way: Beach” (est. $13.9 million)
7. Jardiance
Movement: Up 2 spots
What is it? Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $14.5 million (up from $12.4 million in November)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “On It” (est. $14.5 million)
8. Ocrevus
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Roche multiple sclerosis drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $12.7 million (up from $6.2 million in November)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Living With MS” (est. $12 million)
9. Rybelsus
Movement: Up 1 spot
What is it? Novo Nordisk GLP-1 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.7 million (up from $11.4 million in November)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Ray's A1C” (est. $11.7million)
10. Opzelura
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Incyte eczema cream
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.3 million (up from $7.3 million in November)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Get Used to a New Feeling” (est. $11.3 million)