Spending by drug makers on network TV advertising dropped 10 percent in the first quarter from the year before, the sharpest quarterly fall-off in two years, according to a report in USA Today.
The industry spent $388 million on network TV consumer drug ads in the first quarter, down about $44 million from last year, according to numbers from Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
The 10 percent drop in network drug ad spending contrasts with a 4.2 percent first-quarter rise for network TV sales overall, Nielsen said.
Much of the spending decline came from several big DTC campaigns including:
*Viagra. Pfizer pulled TV ads in November after the FDA warned the ads were misleading.
*Prevacid. TAP spent nothing on TV ads for the heartburn medication in the first quarter, vs. $18 million last year.
*Celebrex. Ads for the drug were pulled in December following a study showing increased cardiovascular risks.
*Crestor. AstraZeneca spent $1.1 million on TV ads for the anti-cholesterol drug in the first quarter, down from $9.4 million last year.
Spending down for DTC television ads
Spending by drug makers on network TV advertising dropped 10 percent in the first quarter from the year before, the sharpest quarterly fall-off in two years, according to a report in USA Today.