Top 10 Pharma TV Ad Spend Leaders in January 2026: Tremfya, Rinvoq, Skyrizi and Zepbound Dominate

In 2026, prescription drug commercials continue to be a mainstay in the pharmaceutical advertising landscape, with tens of millions of dollars invested into pharma TV ads in 2026 for major brands to build awareness and influence patient and physician conversations. 

Despite an overall industry shift toward digital and streaming platforms, traditional TV remains a high-impact channel for drugmakers seeking broad reach, especially for chronic conditions that affect large patient populations.

The top prescription drug commercials in early 2026, by ad spend, were dominated by weight-loss GLP-1 medications and NFL programming leading up to February’s Super Bowl. 

Combined drug ad spending for the top 10 brands in January 2026 hit a record $323.8 million, suggesting that pharma TV ads aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Pharmaceutical ads have historically accounted for a significant share of TV advertising impressions and airtime. For example, data from 2025 showed drug ads generated hundreds of billions of household TV impressions, where weight‑loss medications like Wegovy led the sector, and drugs like Rinvoq, Skyrizi, Dupixent and Jardiance were among other top spenders.

Here are the top drugs, by ad spend, that hit TV screens in January 2026, based on data from ispot.tv reported by Fierce Pharma.

1. Tremfya (J&J): $78.2 million

Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) IL-23 immunology blockbuster Tremfya (guselkumab) has dominated early-year TV ad spend, outpacing all other prescription drug brands in January 2026 with an estimated $78.2 million invested in eight different national TV spots. This represents a nearly 40% increase over its December 2025 spending of $56.4 million and is far higher than any other pharmaceutical brand’s single-month outlay in recent years. By comparison, most brands rarely exceed the $50 million mark per month on TV. Tremfya’s campaign covers multiple indications, including psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Its highest-ticket ad is “Relentless Weed,” for which J&J spent $22 million. Tremfya recorded strong performance in 2025, with sales of approximately $5.15 billion to $5.2 billion, a significant year-over-year increase of roughly 40%. Peak sales are projected to exceed $10 billion as multi-billion dollar revenues decline from Stelara (ustekinumab). Stelara began losing patent exclusivity in the US and Europe in 2024 and early 2025. The first set of Stelara generics received FDA approval in 2024, with approvals continuing in 2025.

2. Rinvoq (AbbVie): $51.7 million

Behind Tremfya in January 2026 was one of AbbVie’s most heavily advertised drugs, JAK inhibitor and immunology blockbuster Rinvoq (upadacitinib), for which the company spent an estimated $51.7 million on TV commercials, moving up in the rankings from its previous month’s ad spend of $42.3 million. AbbVie spent the millions on six ads, which included three for eczema, one for Crohn’s/ulcerative colitis (UC) and two for arthritis. Its biggest-ticket ad was “Checklist” at $22.8 million. Rinvoq had a strong outing in 2025, with full-year global net revenues reaching $8.30 billion, representing a 39% increase over 2024. 

3. Skyrizi (AbbVie): $44.9 million

AbbVie’s other immunology superstar, Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa), remains a top TV ad investment for the company. AbbVie has consistently ranked near the top of pharma TV ad charts for Rinvoq and Skyrizi, leveraging campaigns for psoriasis, arthritis and related inflammatory conditions. There were seven Skyrizi ads featured in January: five for psoriasis and two for Crohn’s/UC disease, with more than half of the month’s total ad spend having gone to its Crohn’s/UC ad, “In the Picture: Control Is Everything” ($24.9 million). Skyrizi delivered exceptional performance in 2025, with global net revenues reaching approximately $17.56 billion. According to AbbVie, driven by strong adoption in Crohn’s disease and UC, the drug served as a key growth driver, with combined Skyrizi and Rinvoq sales exceeding $25.9 billion for the year. The new set of immunology drugs has been making up for Humira’s revenue loss after patent expirations, driving significant top-line growth for AbbVie, particularly in IBD (Crohn’s and UC). 

4. Zepbound (Eli Lilly): $34 million

Eli Lilly’s GLP‑1 obesity therapy Zepbound (tirzepatide) continued to dominate screens, with around $34 million spent in January 2026, a slight decline from December but still among the top ads by dollar value. Five Zepbound TV spots did the rounds in January, with “A Different Way: $299” being the highest value (around $30.6 million). Zepbound generated approximately $13.54 billion in global sales in 2025, marking a massive ~175% year-over-year increase driven by soaring demand for the obesity treatment. Together with diabetes drug Mounjaro, total tirzepatide sales helped Eli Lilly achieve a 45% revenue increase in 2025. 

5. Caplyta (J&J): $26.4 million

J&J’s antipsychotic drug Caplyta (lumateperone) moved up in the rankings in January over the previous month with four ads, two for bipolar and two for depression, totalling $26.4 million. Its biggest ticket ad was “Let in the Lyte: More of the Lyte” at approximately $13.6 million. Following its November 2025 FDA approval for major depressive disorder (MDD) as an add-on treatment, Caplyta is on an upward trajectory. Driven by the new indication and bipolar depression, the drug is a key component of J&J’s $14.6 billion acquisition of Intra-Cellular Therapies and is projected to hit $5 billion in peak annual sales. In 2025, it registered $249 million in global sales.

6. Rexulti (Lundbeck and Otsuka): $22.6 million

Lundbeck and Otsuka’s MDD and schizophrenia drug Rexulti (brexpiprazole) jumped several spots (from number 10 in December to six in January) with ad spend totalling $22.6 million. The drug had two ads for depression on the airways, including “Park and Arcade” which took up the majority of ad spend. The drug earned 6,205 million DKK ($951.58 million), up 23% from the previous year and accounted for 25% of Lundbeck’s total revenues for the year. In September 2025, the FDA rejected Lundbeck and Otsuka’s supplemental NDA for Rexulti for the treatment of PTSD, explaining in a complete response letter that the submitted data didn’t provide substantial evidence of effectiveness. The companies said they will review the FDA’s feedback and determine next steps.

7. Dupixent (Sanofi and Regeneron): $17.4 million

Immunology blockbuster Dupixent (dupilumab) was down two spots in January but had the most ads among the drugs on the list at 12 ads totalling $17.4 million. The most was spent on eczema ad “Feel the Heal” at around $4.6 million. Based on Sanofi’s 2025 full-year results, global net sales of Dupixent clocked in at $17.8 billion, an increase of 26% compared to 2024. The IL-4/IL-13 inhibitor has become one of Sanofi and Regeneron’s top-selling drugs, driving significant revenue growth due to its broad indications across atopic dermatitis, asthma and eosinophilic conditions. Dupixent’s core US patents are set to expire between 2030 and 2031.

8. Vraylar (AbbVie): $16.6 million

Abbvie spent $16.6 million on three ads in January for its bipolar and MDD treatment Vraylar (cariprazine), $9.4 million of which was spent on the ad “Jane’s Head” for MDD. Vraylar’s global net revenues reached $3.6 billion in 2025, an approximate 11% increase compared to 2024. Vraylar is protected from generic competition until at least 2028 or 2029, when its key patents are set to expire.

9. Cobenfy (Bristol Myers Squibb): $16 million

Bristol Myers Squibb’s (BMS) schizophrenia drug Cobenfy (xanomeline and trospium chloride) made it to the top ten TV ad spend list in January with two TV spots, including “Bryan’s Story,” which received $11.2 million of total ad spend. In December, BMS spent $12.6 million on advertising for the drug. Cobenfy, approved for schizophrenia in late 2024, showed a slow but steady launch in 2025, earning $155 million in worldwide sales in 2025, with expectations for continued growth and potential for expansion into new indications. 

10. Jardiance (Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim): $16 million

Lilly and Boehringer’s diabetes and kidney disease treatment Jardiance (empagliflozin) only had one ad, titled “Jan,” on the airways in January. It increased its ad spend from $11.2 million in December to $16 million in January. In the first half of 2025, Jardiance brought in approximately $4.7 billion for Boehringer. For Lilly, the company said its volume growth in the US was negatively impacted by a one-time benefit of $300 million for Jardiance linked to an amendment to the company’s collaboration with Boehringer, in Q4 2024. The drug’s primary patents are set to expire around 2026-2027, but secondary patents for formulation and usage extend into 2029 or later. While some sources suggest early 2025, generic entry is likely restricted until 2026-2029 due to the extended patent protections. Jardiance was also selected for Medicare price negotiations, with new, lower prices slated to take effect in 2026.