AbbVie’s autoimmune blockbuster Rinvoq spent a second month leading the highest pharma TV ad spend as its battle with Sanofi’s Dupixent, a fierce rivalry, continues.
Spend on Dupixent TV ads had topped iSpot’s top 10 in April and May, but AbbVie came roaring back to first place in June and is in the top spot once again for July.
And AbbVie spent big to grab the leader position. July was a bumper month, coming in at $39.2 million, the most we’ve seen spent all year on drug TV ads and nearly three times what Sanofi and Regeneron coughed up for Dupixent, which came in at $15.3 million and took second place.
AbbVie also spent big on Botox, which rarely enters the top 10 TV spend lists, with the Allergan-acquired drug coming in seventh, with just under $10 million in spending. And the pharma company wasn’t done there. Skyrizi—which like Rinvoq treats a range of autoimmune diseases and is looking to replace the lost revenue for AbbVie's aging $20 billion a-year drug, Humira—came in fifth, with $11.8 million.
The third place in July went to Pfizer’s psoriasis pill Cibinqo, not listed in the top 10 last month, with spend totaling $13.1 million.
Diabetes drugs also made up four of the top 10 spots, with the leading blockbusters taking their normal places among the biggest spenders.
This includes Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Jardiance, coming in fourth; Novo Nordisk’s two main diabetes meds Ozempic and Rybelsus in sixth and eighth place, respectively; while AstraZeneca’s Farxiga, which has a new kidney disease label, rounded out the top 10.
Johnson & Johnson’s immunology Tremfya, part of the major immunology market battle, was ninth, with the pharma spending $8.2 million on ads for the therapy.
Spend across the top 10 pharma TV ads has been unusually low during the first half of 2022, and July proved no exception. Despite the major bump from AbbVie’s near $40 million spend on Rinvoq ads, the remaining top nine companies on the list spent $25 million to $30 million less on their commercials in July.
Overall spend for the month for the top 10 was $124.2 million, up on the $117 million from June’s figures. But the month-over-month raise comes with Rinvoq’s massive jump and considering last month was the lowest number in 2022 so far.
Check out the top 10 below.
1. Rinvoq
Movement: No change
What is it? AbbVie’s JAK inhibitor immunology drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $39.2 million (up from $26.3 million in June)
Number of spots: Five (three arthritis, two psoriasis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “River Rafting and Challenge Course” (est. $15.1 million)
2. Dupixent
Movement: No change
What is it? Regeneron and Sanofi IL-4/13 immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $15.3 million (down from $19.4 million in June)
Number of spots: Six (three eczema, three asthma)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Arsalan, Brittany and Kristy” (est. $4.0 million)
3. Cibinqo
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Pfizer’s psoriasis pill.
Est. national TV ad spend: $13.1 million (up from $7.3 million in June)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “The Moment” (est. $13.1 million)
4. Jardiance
Movement: Down 1 spot
What is it? Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.9 million (up from $11.1 million in June)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Meet Ron: On It” (est. $8.8 million)
5. Skyrizi
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? AbbVie’s immunology drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.8 million (up from $6.0 million in June)
Number of spots: Five
Biggest-ticket ad: “Kayaking” (est. $3.9 million)
6. Ozempic
Movement: Down 2 spots
What is it? Novo Nordisk GLP-1 diabetes drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.1 million (up from $10.5 million in June)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Ozempic Tri-Zone” (est. $11.1 million)
7. Botox
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? AbbVie’s botulinum toxin type A injection.
Est. national TV ad spend: $9.3 million (up from $7.5 million in June)
Number of spots: Three (one migraine, two cosmetic)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Questions” (est. $6.6 million)
8. Rybelsus
Movement: Down 3 spots
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $8.5 million (down from $9.5 million in June)Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “DOWN With Rybelsus” (est. $8.5 million)
9. Tremfya
Movement: Down 3 spots
What is it? Johnson & Johnson’s immunology drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $8.2 million (down from $8.4 million in June)
Number of spots: Six
Biggest-ticket ad: “Emerge: Burning - $5 Per Dose” (est. $2.1 million)
10. Farxiga
Movement: No change
What is it? AstraZeneca’s diabetes and kidney disease drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $7.6 million (up from $7.5 million in June)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “You’re A Target: Park” (est. $7.6 million)