Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Ad Spending to Top $2 Billion
- by August 11, 2000
Last year, DTC expenditures totaled $1.9 billion. Between January and April 2000, spending reached $946 million – 58% more than the $597 million spent during the first four months of 1999.
The leading products in terms of DTC spending from January to April 2000 were:
Vioxx, a COX-2 inhibitor, for which Merck spent $67 million on consumer promotion.
Prilosec, an ulcer therapy, for which AstraZeneca spent $42 million. That total was 93% more than the company spent to advertise the brand to consumers between January and April 1999.
Claritin, an antihistamine, for which Schering-Plough spent $34 million. That total was 38% less than the company spent on consumer promotion for the product in the first four months of 1999.
Celebrex, a COX-2 inhibitor, for which co-promoters Pharmacia and Pfizer spent $31.4 million. Combined, Vioxx and Celebrex had $99 million in DTC expenditures, making the COX-2 inhibitor class No. 1 in consumer campaign spending between January and April 2000.
Xenical, an obesity drug, for which Roche spent $31.2 million. Six products that did not have consumer campaigns in the first four months of 1999 reached the top 10 in DTC spending between January and April 2000.
Much of the 58% increase in expenditures was due to these six new campaigns, which touted Vioxx, Celebrex, Xenical, Tamiflu, Paxil and Flovent.
