A view of a plastic mannequin of a abdomen throughout an interview with Physician Thomas Horbach, specialist in surgical procedure, visceral surgical procedure and dietary drugs on Novo Nordisk, which can begin promoting its vastly widespread weight problems drug Wegovy in Germany later this month, in Munich, Germany, July 17, 2023.
Christine Uyanik | Reuters
Drugmakers spent almost $500 million on ads for weight problems and diabetes therapies within the U.S. throughout the first seven months of this 12 months, up 20% from the identical interval a 12 months in the past, in line with new information launched Friday.
The info, from promoting analytics agency MediaRadar, demonstrates the push by corporations to seize new clients after months of hype round Novo Nordisk‘s diabetes drug Ozempic and weight reduction counterpart Wegovy.
These medicine and comparable therapies have soared in demand this 12 months for his or her skill to assist sufferers lose undesirable kilos. The medicines, often known as GLP-1s, mimic a hormone produced within the intestine to suppress an individual’s urge for food.
U.S. health-care suppliers wrote greater than 9 million prescriptions for Ozempic, Wegovy, and different weight problems and diabetes medicine over the last three months of 2022, up 300% from early 2020.
MediaRadar compiled advert spending from nationwide TV broadcasts, print publications, newspapers and web sites, and social media platforms from Jan. 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023.
The highest 4 medicine marketed had been Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Wegovy and diabetes tablet Rybelsus and Boehringer Ingelheim’s personal diabetes remedy Jardiance, which is ready to face drug value negotiations with the federal Medicare program.
Collectively, these therapies accounted for $358 million, or about three-quarters, of complete advert spending for weight problems and diabetes medicine throughout the first seven months of this 12 months, in line with the info.
Spending on Ozempic advertisements was $120 million throughout that point interval, up 23% from the identical interval final 12 months.
MediaRadar stated in an announcement that Ozempic’s rise in recognition has had a “optimistic influence on comparable drugs.”
“It is a basic case of ‘a rising tide lifts all boats,'” MediaRadar CEO Todd Krizelman stated within the assertion. “As Ozempic’s recognition grows, so does the demand for different weight reduction and diabetes medicine, particularly Wegovy, which has made a major mark this 12 months, significantly from Q2 onwards.”
Wegovy accounted for greater than $20 million in advert spending throughout the first seven months of the 12 months, primarily as a result of a spike in spending from April to July, in line with MediaRadar.
However MediaRadar famous that Novo Nordisk in Could paused some key promotional promoting for Wegovy, particularly native and nationwide TV promoting.
MediaRadar stated a lot of the spending on the drug was for digital promoting, comparable to on-line video.
