In July, spending on TV ads for prescription drugs reached a low not seen since this time last year.
Pharmas shelled out a combined $173.9 million to air ads for the top 10 drug brands last month, according to data shared with Fierce Pharma Marketing by iSpot.TV. That marks about a 20% drop from June, when the top 10 spenders threw $219.4 million behind their TV commercials.
It’s also the first time all year that the top 10’s combined total has fallen below the $200 million mark; that threshold was last crossed in September 2024, at $197.2 million. July’s total is the lowest since last August’s $167.7 million, though it still represents a 24% year-over-year increase from July 2024’s $140 million sum.
Among the month’s top 10 spenders, only one saw a month-over-month increase in TV ad spending. AbbVie spent about $35 million airing ads for Skyrizi, up from just over $30 million in June, sending the immunology heavyweight up to the No. 1 spot on the list.
Also moving up one place each were AbbVie’s Rinvoq and Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya, even as their monthly totals slipped from the previous month. All the movement at the top was largely due to a steep drop-off in spending on TV ads for Wegovy: Novo Nordisk shelled out just $21.5 million for the obesity med’s commercials in July, a nearly 50% drop from the almost $40 million outlay that earned it the top spot in June.
Lundbeck and Otsuka’s Rexulti and Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s Jardiance held steady in fifth and sixth places, respectively, while Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent and Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic both climbed one spot.
The latter shuffle was thanks yet again to plummeting spending on a GLP-1 med for obesity. Lilly’s Zepbound took seventh place in June, with $15 million behind it, but completely dropped off the list in July, meaning its monthly outlay fell below the No. 10 spender’s $7.9 million total.
Rounding out July’s list were two newcomers for the month: Intra-Cellular Therapies' Caplyta, which crops up among the top 10 spenders every few months—last seen in April—and Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Austedo, which made a one-off appearance on the August 2024 list.
Below, find the full data for July 2025’s 10 biggest pharma ad spenders, as compiled by iSpot.TV.
1. Skyrizi
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? AbbVie’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $34.7 million (up from $30.3 million in June)
Number of spots: 10 (seven psoriasis, three Crohn’s/ulcerative colitis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “In the Picture” (est. $19.2 million)
2. Rinvoq
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? AbbVie’s JAKi immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $25.5 million (down from $28 million in June)
Number of spots: Five (two eczema, one ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s, two arthritis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Don't Have To Settle” (est. $9.5 million)
3. Tremfya
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Johnson & Johnson’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $21.6 million (down from $27.6 million in June)
Number of spots: Seven (four psoriasis, two ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s disease, one psoriatic arthritis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Break Away: Relentless Weed” (est. $9.6 million)
4. Wegovy
Movement: Down three spots
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 agonist for obesity
Est. national TV ad spend: $21.5 million (down from $39.9 million in June)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Discover the Power: $0” (est. $21.5 million)
5. Rexulti
Movement: No change
What is it? Lundbeck and Otsuka’s neurology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $16.7 million (down from $25.8 million in June)
Number of spots: Two (one depression, one Alzheimer’s)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Still Masking: Garage and Office” (est. $9.5 million)
6. Jardiance
Movement: No change
What is it? Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes and kidney disease drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $14.7 million (down from $17.2 million in June)
Number of spots: Five (two chronic kidney disease, three diabetes)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Musical: Baseball” (est. $5.7 million)
7. Dupixent
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $13.6 million (down from $13.8 million in June)
Number of spots: Eight (three asthma, five eczema)
Biggest-ticket ad: “This Is Better: Roller Disco” (est. $5.7 million)
8. Ozempic
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 agonist for diabetes
Est. national TV ad spend: $8.9 million (down from $11.5 million in June)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Testimonials: Michael and Tanya” (est. $4.7 million)
9. Caplyta
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Intra-Cellular’s schizophrenia and bipolar depression drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $8.8 million (down from $9.5 million in June)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “The Darkness of Bipolar Depression: Let in The Lyte” (est. $4.5 million)
10. Austedo
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Teva Pharmaceuticals’ movement disorder drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $7.9 million (down from $8.7 million in June)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Phone Call” (est. $4.1 million)