Dupixent is a blockbuster immunology drug that just keeps delivering for Sanofi and Regeneron, so it’s no surprise that the “franchise in a therapy” has got a new set of ads.
Sanofi and Regeneron, which co-sell the drug, spent a massive $287.6 million on Dupixent ads last year, making them the highest of all pharma drug spenders in 2021. The majority of that spend funneled into its eczema label and the direct-to-consumer “Heal Your Skin From Within” campaign.
But now, the brand is aiming its new effort, known as “Du More,” toward its asthma approval, with two new ads focused on a teacher and a commuter.
Du More as a concept has been around since 2020, but the idea has evolved. This time around, the first ad—“Du More: Teacher”—asks “what can I do [think Du] with less asthma? I can do more!” The actor/teacher then flits around the school doing both her job and a number of sports, all effortlessly and with no asthma attacks.
That ad has already seen $3.7 million spent over the last month, according to real-time TV ad tracker iSpot.tv, with 511 airings.
The second ad, “Du More: Commuter,” is much the same, with an actor speedily moving through his commute with some well-placed “Du More” signage in the background. The commuter does some dancing on the train—and even manages some flirting. Again, all thanks to Dupixent, which can help stop asthma attacks.
The companies have spent $4.3 million on that second ad since it began airing last month, with 574 airings.
Last October, Dupixent nabbed a new approval as an add-on maintenance treatment in younger kids (6 to 11 years old) with certain types of asthma, bringing a larger market to the original nod, which just covered those 12 and over.
The U.S. asthma market, made up of around 26 million people, is highly competitive. Several newer biologics are competing for market space, including AstraZeneca’s Fasenra and its new drug Tezspire, co-marketed with Amgen, as well as GlaxoSmithKline’s Nucala.
AZ and Amgen, which only nabbed FDA approval for Tezspire late last year, have already hit the ground running in marketing terms. Their first DTC campaign debuted just last month with the animated “Be You,” which relied on a quirky cast of animated characters.
The ad emphasizes that “no matter what type of severe asthma you have, Tezspire can help”—playing up what analysts see as the drug’s competitive advantage.
Tezspire is approved for severe asthma regardless of the cause of inflammation, setting it apart from Dupixent and other biologics on the market that specifically target eosinophilic forms of the disease.
Sanofi and Regeneron still believe, however, that they have a sales behemoth on their hands. The drug made 5.24 billion euros last year, up more than 50%. Some 3.97 billion euros of that came from the U.S., which was up 46% year over year.
And more could be coming: The FDA recently put Dupixent’s application for eosinophilic esophagitis under priority review, potentially making it the first approved drug for the disorder. Sanofi and Regeneron have also filed the drug for the itch condition prurigo nodularis with U.S. and European regulators.
The pharma partners recently predicted a massive $14.5 billion in peak sales for the drug, so expect those DTC ads to become a permanent feature in your commerical breaks.