AbbVie is reaching for the Sky(rizi) as it spent a staggering $51.5 million on TV drug ads for its immunology blockbuster in October.
That’s according to the latest figures by real-time ad trackers iSpot.TV, which sees the Big Pharma dig deep into its wallet as it handed over nearly $19 million more for its Skyrizi ads in October compared to September’s commercials.
That $51.5 million is also easily the highest single total spent on ads for a drug during one month this year.
In second place is fierce rival Dupixent, the immunology megablockbuster from Sanofi and Regeneron, with the pair spending a healthy $35.2 million in October, though not nearly enough to maintain the first place Dupixent enjoyed last time out.
AbbVie pops back into third place with its second immunology blockbuster in Rinvoq, keeping in the same place it did in September. However, spending jumped massively from $23.6 million in September to $35.1 million in October.
In fourth position is J&J’s ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis drug Tremfya, not listed in September but seeing a huge bump in spending, from $9.5 million in September to $34.1 million in October.
In the mid-table is AstraZeneca’s respiratory disease therapy Breztri Aerosphere, also not listed in September.
Lundbeck and Otsuka’s neurology med Rexulti, which has seen several list-topping months this year, fell two spots month-over-month into sixth place, and the only one of two top 10 placers to see spend drop from September after Dupixent.
In seventh place and up three spots is Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes drug Jardiance, while GSK’s RSV vaccine Arexvy is down in eighth position, a fall of two spots despite the British pharma spending more than $2 million more on the vaccine’s ads last month.
The final two are Novo Nordisk’s injectable GLP-1 diabetes drug Ozempic, keeping its ninth place two months in a row, while Bristol Myers Squibb’s heart drug Camzyos brings up the rear in tenth, down two spots from September.
There was no top 10 listing for Pfizer’s COVID-19 med Paxlovid in October, which took an unusual fifth place in September, and was according to the Fierce newsroom a constant background ad all month (outside of the barrage of political commercials).
Total spending across the top 10 pharmaceutical companies for the month also jumped by a huge $268.1 million, up from the already healthy September figure of $197.2 million and by far the highest monthly total of the year.
Check out the top 10 for October, compiled by iSpot.TV, below.
1. Skyrizi
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? AbbVie’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $51.5 million (up from $32.7 million in September)
Number of spots: 14 (two psoriatic arthritis, eight psoriasis, four UC/Crohn’s disease)
Biggest-ticket ad: “In the Picture” (est. $21.3 million)
2. Dupixent
Movement: Down one spot
What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $35.2 million (down from $37.8 million in September)
Number of spots: Eight (one gastrointestinal, two asthma, five eczema)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Show Off: Pool and Party” (est. $12.2 million)
3. Rinvoq
Movement: No change
What is it? AbbVie’s JAK inhibitor drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $35.1 million (up from $23.6 million in September)
Number of spots: Six (one UC/Crohn’s, three arthritis, two eczema)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Volleyball and Skiing: $0 per Month” (est. $15 million)
4. Tremfya
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? J&J’s UC, psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $34.1 million (up from $9.5 million in September)
Number of spots: Four (three psoriasis, one ulcerative colitis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Break Away” (est. $22 million)
5. Breztri Aerosphere
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? AstraZeneca’s respiratory therapy
Est. national TV ad spend: $26.6 million (up from $7.1 million in September)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Things Changed” (est. $26.6 million)
6. Rexulti
Movement: Down two spots
What is it? Lundbeck and Otsuka’s neurology therapy
Est. national TV ad spend: $21 million (down from $22.7 million in September)
Number of spots: Two (one Alzheimer’s, one depression)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Journey” (est. $10.7 million)
7. Jardiance
Movement: Up three spots
What is it? Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $18.9 million (up from $9.7 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Musical: Garden” (est. $10.7 million)
8. Arexvy
Movement: Down two spots
What is it? GSK’s RSV vaccine
Est. national TV ad spend: $17.4 million (up from $15.3 in September)
Number of spots: Five
Biggest-ticket ad: “Pumpkin Launch” (est. $6.9 million)
9. Ozempic
Movement: No change
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s injectable GLP-1 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $14.6 million (up from $10.8 million in September)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Discover the Ozempic Tri-Zone: Boxing” (est. $14.6 million)
10. Camzyos
Movement: Down two spots
What is it? Bristol Myers Squibb’s heart drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $13.7 million (up from $11.3 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Stephanie” (est. $7.6 million)