Move over AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson, we have a new and surprising leading drug in the pharma ad spending space.
According to data from iSpot.TV, UCB’s immunology drug Bimzelx jumped 17 positions month-over-month to claim the top spot as the highest pharma drug ad spend in August.
This is the first time UCB’s med has ever taken the lead with a meaty $31.5 million in spend, up from the $5.5 million the company spent in July.
This pushed AbbVie’s rival immunology therapy Skyrizi into second place, though spend was only fractionally lower at $30.3 million. Skyrizi had taken the top spot in July.
J&J’s Tremfya, also an immunology med that rivals Bimzelx and Skyrizi, was down one spot in August to third, with AbbVie’s second major immunology drug Rinvoq coming in fourth place.
Spending difference between the two was marginal, with Tremfya seeing $25.6 million channeled into its commercials last month, and Rinvoq’ spend just $300,000 lower.
In fifth and sixth positions was J&J again, this time with its atypical antipsychotic drug Caplyta, down two places from July, while the U.S. Big Pharma’s newly launched psoriasis drug Icotyde continued its swift push into a regular top 10 spot to reach sixth place.
Merck’s megablockbuster oncology drug Keytruda, an unusual medicine for these lists, remained in the top 10 for a second month, though down two spots from July in seventh.
Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology drug Dupixent, meanwhile, jumped two places to reach eighth, while Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s diabetes, kidney disease and CV drug Jardiance was ninth.
AbbVie’s neurology drug took the final tenth spot, up four places from July with a spend of $10.1 million.
Check out the top 10 below.
1. Bimzelx
Movement: Up seventeen spots
What is it? UCB’s immunology drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $31.2 million (up from $5.5 million in July)
- Hidradenitis suppurativa: $11.8 million
- Psoriasis: $10.8 million
- Psoriatic arthritis: $8.7 million
Top TV network by spend SOV: NFL Network (35.56%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: NFL Football (32.51%)
Number of spots: 11 (five psoriatic arthritis, four psoriasis, two hidradenitis suppurativa) Biggest-ticket ad: 'I'm Back: Showing Out' (est. $6.9 million)
2. Skyrizi
Movement: Down one spot
What is it? AbbVie’s immunology therapy Skyrizi
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $30.3 million (up from $29.3 million in July)
- UC/Crohn's disease: $15.8 million
- Psoriasis: $12.3 million
- Psoriatic arthritis: $2.2 million
Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (23.83%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: NFL Football (2.69%)
Number of spots: Seven (three psoriasis, three UC/Crohn's disease, one psoriatic arthritis)
Biggest-ticket ad: Ready for the Moment (est. $8.2 million)
3. Tremfya
Movement: Down one spot
What is it? Johnson & Johnson’s immunology drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $25.6 million (down from $27 million in July)
- UC/Crohn's disease: $20.1 million
- Psoriatic arthritis: $5.1 million
- Psoriasis: $370.5K
Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (18.04%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: Good Morning America (3.41%)
Number of spots: Five (one UC/Crohn's disease, three psoriatic arthritis, one psoriasis)
Biggest-ticket ad: 'Relentless Weed' (est. $20.1 million)
4. Rinvoq
Movement: No change
What is it? AbbVie’s JAKi immunology drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $25.3 million (up from $23.5 million in July)
- Arthritis: $11.3 million
- Eczema: $7.1 million
- UC/Crohn's: $6.9 million
Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (25.07%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: NFL Football (4.34%)
Number of spots: Four (one arthritis, two eczema, one UC/Crohn's disease)
Biggest-ticket ad: 'Another Day' (est. $11.3 million)
5. Caplyta
Movement: Down two spots
What is it? Johnson & Johnson’s atypical antipsychotic drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $20.2 million (down from $24.6 million in July)
- MDD: $10.1 million
- Bipolar: $10.1 million
Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (16.21%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: Good Morning America (4.83%)
Number of spots: Three (two MDD, one bipolar)
Biggest-ticket ad: 'Missing Out' (est. $10.1 million)
6. Icotyde
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? J&J’s oral moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $19.8 million (up from $11.4 million in July)
Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (26.97%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: Good Morning America (5.22%)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: 'Unbelievable' (est. $19.8 million)
7. Keytruda
Movement: Down two spots
What is it? Merck’s oncology drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $14.3 million (down from $14.8 million in July)
Top TV network by spend SOV: CBS (20.11%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: NFL Football (8.57%)
Number of spots: Five
Biggest-ticket ad: 'One Minute' (est. $9.5 million)
8. Dupixent
Movement: Up two spots
What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $11.9 million (up from $9.5 million in July)
- Eczema: $9.1 million
- Asthma/COPD: $2.7 million
- Gastrointestinal: $122K
Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (33.03%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (11.29%)
Number of spots: Nine (four eczema, three asthma/COPD, two gastrointestinal)
Biggest-ticket ad: 'Feel the Heal' (est. $5.8 million)
9. Jardiance
Movement: Up three spots
What is it? Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s diabetes, kidney disease and CV drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $10.2 million (up from $8.1 million in July)
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD): $5.3 million
- Diabetes: $5 million
Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (18.56%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (5.68%)
Number of spots: Four (two CKD, two diabetes)
Biggest-ticket ad: 'Slow Can Be Good Too' Featuring Usain Bolt (est. $5.3 million)
10. Vraylar
Movement: Up four spots
What is it? AbbVie’s neurology drug
Est. national linear TV ad spend: $10.1 million (up from $7.5 million in July)
- Depression: $7.2 million
- Bipolar: $2.8 million
Top TV network by spend SOV: CBS (23.98%)
Top TV program by spend SOV: Beyond the Gates (7.96%)
Number of spots: Three (two depression, one bipolar)
Biggest-ticket ad: 'Jane's Head' (est. $7.2 million)