Novo Nordisk sues Eli Lilly over weight-loss drug advertising

Key facts

• Novo Nordisk has sued Eli Lilly in U.S. federal court.
• The lawsuit alleges violations of false advertising and unfair competition laws.
• Novo Nordisk claims Eli Lilly compared lower doses of its drugs against higher doses of Novo Nordisk's medications.
• Novo Nordisk seeks to have Eli Lilly withdraw its advertisements and issue a corrective campaign.
• Eli Lilly stated its advertising is based on the Surmount-5 trial and it stands by its campaign.

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, has filed a lawsuit against its rival Eli Lilly in U.S. federal court, accusing the company of false advertising and unfair competition. The Danish pharmaceutical giant alleges that Eli Lilly's advertising campaigns for its weight-loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound create a misleading impression of superiority by comparing the highest approved doses of its own medications against lower doses of Novo Nordisk's drugs.

Novo Nordisk claims that Eli Lilly's campaigns intentionally use outdated studies and omit newer, higher-dose options for Novo Nordisk's medications, thereby deceptively presenting Lilly's products as superior. The company is seeking a court order to compel Eli Lilly to withdraw these advertisements and launch a corrective advertising campaign. Novo Nordisk stated that if Eli Lilly does not voluntarily remove the commercials, it will seek a preliminary injunction.

Eli Lilly has pushed back against the claims, asserting that its advertising is truthful, transparent, and grounded in scientific evidence. The company stated it will defend against the lawsuit vigorously. The legal action comes amid intense competition between the two pharmaceutical heavyweights in the rapidly expanding weight-loss drug market, which analysts project could exceed $100 billion by 2030.