AbbVie has taken the top two spots in April for the second month in a row as it continues its domination as the top drug ad spender in 2023.
But while it was the Big Pharma’s JAK inhibitor Rinvoq that took the win in March and its immunology drug Skyrizi in second place, that was reversed in April as Skyrizi rose to the top and Rinvoq was pushed down to second.
Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent came in third place with a spend of $23.8 million, $6 million less than AbbVie spent on Skyrizi.
In fourth place is GSK’s respiratory drug Trelegy, a familiar name that hasn't appeared in the top 10 for a long time. The pharma spent $15.9 million on Trelegy in April, with the majority of that going on its ad “Concert.”
In at No. 5 is Eli Lilly’s new diabetes drug Mounjaro, consolidating its top 10 placing after its first entry in March. Spending on Mounjaro ads totaled $21.4 million in March, and that number dropped to $14.7 million in April.
AbbVie’s blockbuster mental health drug Vraylar took the sixth spot, again coming back into the top 10 after an absence and also coming after the FDA expanded its label last December to include treating depression alongside an antidepressant therapy. All $13.7 million spent in April went on its new ad, “The Lift,” which launched in early April and plays on that new indication.
Seventh place goes to a regular in the top 10, Jardiance, the diabetes therapy from Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly. In eighth place we see another regular in Otsuka and Lundbeck’s bipolar disorder and schizophrenia drug.
Rounding off the final two places are again some drugs that have appeared on the top 10 list in the past.
In at No. 9 is Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus, which once upon a time was a regular at the top of these lists but since 2022 has dropped down and sometimes out of the top 10 as Novo shifts DTC spend away from the drug.
And in at No. 10 is Roche’s multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus, which has ad hoc appearances in the biggest spenders list, with the Swiss major spending $12 million in April.
Overall spend across the top 10 was $177.3 million for April, almost exactly the same as March’s total at $177.1 million. Both figures are up from February’s lowly $151.6 million but massively down on the $207.4 million we saw in January.
Check out the top 10 from real-time ad trackers at iSpot.TV below.
1. Skyrizi
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? AbbVie immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $29.8 million (down from $30.5 million in March)
Number of spots: Seven (one Crohn’s, four psoriasis, two psoriatic arthritis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Roller Coaster” (est. $11.5 million)
2. Rinvoq
Movement: Down one spot
What is it? AbbVie JAK inhibitor
Est. national TV ad spend: $28.6 million (down from $32.4 million in March)
Number of spots: Three (one arthritis, one UC, one eczema)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Disrupts My Skin” (est. $11 million)
3. Dupixent
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $23.8 million (up from $22.3 million in March)
Number of spots: Seven (four eczema, three asthma)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Kenny and Mosetta” (est. $8.4 million)
4. Trelegy
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? GSK COPD and asthma drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $15.9 million (up from $8.9 million in March)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Concert” (est. $9.1 million)
5. Mounjaro
Movement: No movement
What is it? Eli Lilly diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $14.7 million (down from $21.4 million in March)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “What if” (est. $13 million)
6. Vraylar
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? AbbVie depression drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $13.7 million (up from $0 in March)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “A Lift” (est. $13.7million)
7. Jardiance
Movement: Up two spots
What is it? Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly diabetes drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $13 million (up from $10.9 million in March)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Musical” (est. $13 million)
8. Rexulti
Movement: Down one spot
What is it? Otsuka and Lundbeck bipolar and schizophrenia drug.
Est. national TV ad spend: $12.9 million (up from $12.4 million in March)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Build on Your Progress” (est. $8.1 million)
9. Rybelsus
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Novo Nordisk diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $12.9 million (up from $5.5 million in March)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Need to Get Your A1C Down?” (est. $10.7 million)
10. Ocrevus
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Roche multiple sclerosis drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $12 million (up from $6.8 million in March)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Living With MS” (est. $11.2 million)