As Seen on TV, an occasional column, brings you the inside story behind TV drug ads.
If the orange-and-white pills sold as Lyrica for nerve pain were their own standalone drug company, they’d be the industry’s sixth biggest advertiser.
Pfizer spent an estimated $343 million-plus last year advertising the blockbuster drug to patients with fibromyalgia and diabetic nerve pain. Only Bristol-Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, and Allergan spent more on their entire ad budgets.
Unlock this article by subscribing to STAT Plus and enjoy your first 30 days free!
GET STARTEDWhat is it?
STAT Plus is STAT's premium subscription service for in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis. Our award-winning team covers news on Wall Street, policy developments in Washington, early science breakthroughs and clinical trial results, and health care disruption in Silicon Valley and beyond.
What's included?
- Daily reporting and analysis
- The most comprehensive industry coverage from a powerhouse team of reporters
- Subscriber-only newsletters
- Daily newsletters to brief you on the most important industry news of the day
- Online intelligence briefings
- Frequent opportunities to engage with veteran beat reporters and industry experts
- Exclusive industry events
- Premium access to subscriber-only networking events around the country
- The best reporters in the industry
- The most trusted and well-connected newsroom in the health care industry
- And much more
- Exclusive interviews with industry leaders, profiles, and premium tools, like our CRISPR Trackr.
About the Author Reprints
Once we get FDA approval to do product placement advertising on your favorite TV shows nary a half hour will go by when you won’t be exposed to our “beautiful landscapes”.