AbbVie’s Humira in the No. 1 spot of pharma TV spenders is old hat, so it might be no surprise that its next-gen sibling Skyrizi, now approved to treat psoriasis, jumped in its second month on TV.
Skyrizi moved from ninth to fourth as a new-to-TV brand, GlaxoSmithKline’s HIV fighter Dovato, debuted at No. 8 with a new ad, while older brands returning to the top 10 included Gilead Sciences' rival HIV med Biktarvy, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals' Latuda and Novartis' Entresto.
Six of the top 10 ads on the October list haven’t made an appearance for at least several months.
In the case of Entresto, the top 10 absence has been longer than a year. Its return stems from a spending push behind a six-month-old commercial that uses the heart failure treatment’s ongoing theme song, “And the Beat Goes On.” In the ad, an older woman names Jill's heart is shown, and it pans out to her going on a trip with a loved one.
Another returning brand is Sunovion depression treatment Latuda with a new companion commercial to a previous spot focusing on a woman named Lauren. The October-run ad featured Lauren’s daughter, who offered her perspective about her mom's mood.
Total spending for October for the top 10 increased to $165 million, up from $150 million in September and matching August's spend of $165 million.
1. Humira
Movement: Stayed same
What is it? AbbVie immunology drug
Total estimated spending: $46.7 million (up from $36.6 million in September)
Number of spots: Six (Three for arthritis, two for ulcerative colitis/Crohn's, one for psoriasis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Body of Proof: Drums” (est. $12.8 million)
2. Biktarvy
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Gilead Sciences HIV three-in-one combo med
Total estimated spending: $15.3 million
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Keep Being You”
3. Latuda
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Sunovion Pharmaceuticals antipsychotic
Total estimated spending: $14.7 million
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Lauren's Story: My Mom is Sad"
4. Skyrizi
Movement: Up from No. 9
What is it? AbbVie
Total estimated spending: $14.5 million (up from $10.4 million in September)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Nothing is Everything” (est. $12.5 million)
5. Ozempic
Movement: Up from No. 7
What is it? Novo Nordisk GLP-1 diabetes med
Total estimated spending: $13.7 million (up from $11 million in September)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Minigolf: Oh, Ozempic!”
6. Trulicity
Movement: Not on the list last month
What is it? Eli Lilly GLP-1 diabetes drug
Total estimated spending: $13.67 million
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Power: Picnic” (est. $6.8 million)
7. Entresto
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Novartis heart failure treatment
Total estimated spending: $12.2 million
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Jill: The Beat Goes On" (est. $9.1 million)
8. Dovato
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? GSK two-in-one HIV pill Dovato
Total estimated spending: $11.6 million
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “LáDeia"
9. Rexulti
Movement: Not on list last month
What is it? Otsuka and Lundbeck’s antipsychotic
Total estimated spending: $8.3 million
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: "Good Works Kitchen" (est. $7.1 million)
10. Eliquis
Movement: Down from No. 5
What is it? Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb next-gen anticoagulant
Total estimated spending: $11 million (down from $11.4 million in September)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Around the Corner: Play” (est. $4.8 million)