Pharma and Device Blog Watch

Building a Blockbuster Without DTC (World of DTC Marketing)
In the blog, the author discusses how Amylin and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Byetta is rapidly becoming a blockbuster without extensive DTC advertising.

The author writes, “With the recent troubles of oral agents, injectable medications are now gaining more attention, including Byetta, which has quietly seen its market share increase without substantial DTC [advertising] because of world-of-mouth about one of Byetta’s side effects ... weight loss.”

The author writes that bloggers have praised the drug on message boards, telling other potential users of their weight loss experiences, which generates even more interest in the drug. “Judging from the buzz in consumer-generated media, I believe that Lilly [and Amylin have] a potential blockbuster on their hands, all without a substantial DTC budget,” the author writes.

Big Spenders: The Pharma Ad Budget (Pharmalot)
In his blog, Ed Silverman writes about the 2006 list of the top spenders in advertising published in a recent issue of Advertising Age. Several large drug companies made the list, especially those with many OTC products.

“Last year, [GlaxoSmithKline] was the 7th largest, spending $2.4 billion, and Johnson & Johnson came in 9th with $2.3 billion in spending, placing the healthcare giant ahead of Unilever, Toyota and Sony. Here’s where the others can be found:

31 - Pfizer, $1.1 billion;
33 - Wyeth, $1 billion;
36 - Novartis, $1 billion;
38 - Merck, $1 billion;
40 - AstraZeneca, $1 billion;
42 - Schering-Plough, $932 million;
59 - Bristol-Myers Squibb, $691 million;
69 - Lilly, $561 million;
80 - sanofi-aventis, $463 million;
91 - Abbott Labs, $374 million.”