The more things change, the more they stay the same. September's top two TV ad spenders stayed put in October. But down the list, there was some shifting, a few dropouts and some reappearances, according to data from real-time TV ad tracker iSpot.tv.
Sanofi and Regeneron retained their place at the top of the leaderboard, spending almost double on anti-inflammatory therapy Dupixent compared to what runner-up Novo Nordisk spent on its diabetes drug Rybelsus.
Ozempic, also from Novo Nordisk and also for diabetes, moved up right below its sister product to No. 3. Novo spent some $4.6 million more on Ozempic ads than it did in September. In total, the pharma spent $34.4 million on the two drugs.
Tiptoeing up behind the other diabetes drugs is Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim's diabetes med, Jardiance, which moved up two spaces to No. 5 with a $13.8 million spend on two ads. Almost two-thirds of that money went to the “We’re On It” campaign, estimated at $8.6 million.
Two antipsychotics are back on the chart. Rexulti, which was last seen at No. 6 in June, is back at No. 4 with two spots and a spend of $15.8 million—more than double what was spent in September. Also, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals’ Latuda, which was last on the charts at No. 8 back in December 2020, showed up at No. 9 last month.
Also jumping back on the list, coming in at No. 7, is Tremfya from Johnson & Johnson, which spent $11.5 million, almost a million less than in September, yet the drug hasn’t made it on to the top-10 list since April.
Humira, AbbVie's immunology drug and at one point the reigning spend champ, is slowly creeping its way back up, moving three spots from 9 to 6.
The total from these 10 big spenders for October checked in at $154.2 million.
1. Dupixent
Movement: No change
What is it? Regeneron and Sanofi IL-4/13 immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $33.1 million (up from $29.2 million in September)
Number of spots: Five (two for atopic dermatitis, three for asthma)
Biggest-ticket ad: “One Step Ahead’ (est. $13.0 million)
2. Rybelsus
Movement: No change
What is it? Novo Nordisk oral GLP-1 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $17.9 million (down from $21.1 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: "Waking Up – Possible" (est. $14.2 million)
3. Ozempic
Movement: Up 2 spots
What is it? Novo Nordisk GLP-1 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $16.5 million (up from $11.9 million in September)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: "Pickleball" (est. $16.5 million)
4. Rexulti
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Otsuka and Lundbeck antipsychotic
Est. national TV ad spend: $15.8 million (up from $7.3 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: "On the Outside" (est. $10.8 million)
5. Jardiance
Movement: Up 2 spots
What is it? Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim SGLT2 diabetes drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $13.8 million (up from $11.3 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: "We’re On It" (est. $8.6 million)
6. Humira
Movement: Up 3 spots
What is it? AbbVie immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $12.7 million (up from $9.8 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: "Missing" (est. $6.9 million)
7. Tremfya
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Johnson & Johnson IL-23 inhibitor for psoriatic disease
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.5 million (down from $12.7 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: "Emerge – $5 Per Dose" (est. $8.1 million)
8. Regeneron
Movement: Down 2 spots
What is it? Diabetic retinopathy awareness campaign
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.5 million (similar to September)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: "Now Eye See" (est. $11.5 million)
9. Latuda
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Sunovion Pharmaceuticals antipsychotic
Est. national TV ad spend: $10.8 million (up from $2.5 million in September)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: "Art – Trapped in a Fog" (est. $10.8 million)
10. Rinvoq
Movement: Down 7 spots
What is it? AbbVie JAK inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis
Est. national TV ad spend: $10.6 million (down from $18.3 million in September)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: "Your Mission – Motorcycle" (est. $7.0 million)