Key facts
- Novo Nordisk is suing Eli Lilly in U.S. federal court in New Jersey.
- The lawsuit alleges false advertising and unfair competition laws were violated.
- Novo Nordisk claims Eli Lilly compared lower doses of its drugs against higher doses of Novo Nordisk's medications.
- Novo Nordisk is seeking to have Eli Lilly withdraw its advertisements and issue a corrective campaign.
- Novo Nordisk previously sent a cease-and-desist letter to Eli Lilly in April.
Novo Nordisk announced it has filed a lawsuit against rival Eli Lilly in U.S. federal court, alleging false advertising and unfair competition. The Danish pharmaceutical company claims Eli Lilly's nationwide advertising campaigns for its obesity drug Zepbound and diabetes treatment Mounjaro violate federal and state laws.
According to Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly's advertisements compare the highest approved doses of its own medications with lower doses of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic. Novo Nordisk contends that these comparisons omit newer, higher-dose versions of its drugs that result in greater weight loss. The company stated that Eli Lilly's ads claim about 50 pounds of weight loss for Zepbound compared to about 33 pounds for Wegovy, despite no direct head-to-head trials comparing the highest approved doses.
Novo Nordisk is seeking a court order to compel Eli Lilly to withdraw the advertisements and initiate a corrective advertising campaign. The company indicated it would pursue a preliminary injunction if Lilly does not voluntarily remove the ads. Novo Nordisk had previously sent a cease-and-desist letter to Eli Lilly in April, following the U.S. approval of a 7.2-milligram dose of Wegovy. Novo Nordisk's general counsel, John Kuckelman, told Reuters that Lilly did not respond to the letter, instead adding what he described as an inadequate disclaimer to its advertisements. Separate late-stage trials cited by Kuckelman showed average weight loss of approximately 48 pounds for Zepbound and 47 pounds for Wegovy.