DTC advertising spending by pharmaceutical companies was up 9% during the first half of 2006, according to data released this week by marketing information firm TNS Media Intelligence.DTC ad spending rose to $2.46 billion during the first six months of the year as drugmakers devoted greater portions of their budgets to magazine ads and disease awareness campaigns, the data showed. Spending during the first six months of 2005 was flat at $2.26 billion.Additionally, the TNS data showed:*Magazines grabbed 34% of total pharma company DTC ad spend during the first half of 2006, up from 29% in the year-earlier period. *TV ads captured 59% of pharma company DTC ad spend during the first half of 2006, down from 64% a year earlier.*Newspapers accounted for 3% of total pharma company DTC ad spend, mostly unchanged from 2.9% a year earlier.Published reports suggest the figures illustrate an industry-wide easing of constraints felt after the withdrawal of Merck’s Vioxx.Following the adoption of PhRMA’s voluntary guidelines earlier this year, most companies pledged to improve accuracy and balance in ads. Since this is easier to accomplish in magazine ads, drug makers are using that medium more frequently, TNS research director Jon Swallen told the Associated Press.