It’s all change in April for pharma’s top 10 ad spenders as Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology blockbuster Dupixent regains the top spot and March’s leader, AbbVie’s rival drug Rinvoq, tumbles down the order to fifth place.
Spend on Dupixent hit $22.8 million in April, up $2.8 million from the month before. This put it way out in front as Johnson & Johnson’s immunology drug Stelara, in second place, only racked up $12.5 million in April, according to the real-time TV ad watchers at iSpot.tv.
The rest of the top 10 are all incredibly close in spending terms: In third place is Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Jardiance, which saw just $100,000 less spend than Stelara, with $12.4 million.
And in fourth is a drug we haven’t seen in the top 10 this year, Intra-Cellular’s bipolar therapy Caplyta, going from zero spend in March to $12.1 million in April, by far the biggest jump of the month.
March’s biggest spender Rinvoq saw its outlay drop from $22.3 million in March to $11.8 million in April, putting it mid-table, just above Novo Nordisk’s oral GLP-1 diabetes med Rybelsus, which came in sixth with $11.7 million in spend.
Another new listing comes in seventh in the form of Roche’s multiple sclerosis therapy Ocrevus, not listed last month. That med saw spending jump from $6.6 million in March to $11.7 million last month.
Top 10 regular Ozempic, the injectable GLP-1 diabetes drug from Novo, was up one place to eighth with $11.3 million, while Eli Lilly’s rival diabetes drug Trulicity came in ninth with $11 million, down four spots from March.
Rounding off the top 10 is Amgen’s aging immunology therapy Enbrel, with $10.9 million, its first top 10 appearance this year.
Overall spending for the top 10 also continued its weak run. In March, total spend was $126 million, a massive drop from the $223 million registered in February. In April the figures barely moved, reaching just $128.6 million.
1. Dupixent
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Regeneron and Sanofi's IL-4/13 immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $22.8 million (up from $20 million in March)
Number of spots: Nine (five asthma, four eczema)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Heal Your Skin From Within” (est. $6.5 million)
2. Stelara
Movement: Up two spots
What is it? Johnson & Johnson’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $12.5 million (up from $10.9 million in March)
Number of spots: Four
Biggest-ticket ad: “Move Toward Relief” (est. $11 million)
3. Jardiance
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $12.4 million (up from $8.3 million in March)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “We’re On It” (est. $8.6 million)
4. Caplyta
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Intra-Celluar’s drug for depression associated with bipolar disorder
Est. national TV ad spend: $12.1 million (up from $0 in March)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Let in the Light” (est. $12.1 million)
5. Rinvoq
Movement: Down four spots
What is it? AbbVie’s immunology JAK inhibitor
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.8 million (down from $22.3 million in March)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Your Mission - Fishing” (est. $11.8 million)
6. Rybelsus
Movement: No movement
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s oral GLP-1 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.7 million (up from $10.1 million in March)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “DOWN With Rybelsus” (est. $11.7 million)
7. Ocrevus
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Roche’s multiple sclerosis drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.7 million (up from $6.6 million in March)
Number of spots: Four
Biggest-ticket ad: “Two Times A Year” ($10.4 million)
8. Ozempic
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Novo Nordisk injectable GLP-1 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.3 million (down from $9.5 million in March)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Joe’s Type 2 Diabetes Zone” (est. $11.3 million)
9. Trulicity
Movement: Down four spots
What is it? Eli Lilly diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $11 million (up from $10.7 million in March)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Father-Son” (est. 9.6 million)
10. Enbrel
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Amgen’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $10.9 million (up from $8.8 million in March)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “In For What’s Next” ($10.8 million)