Novo Nordisk sues Eli Lilly over weight-loss drug ads

Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit against Eli Lilly in a U.S. federal court, accusing its rival of running misleading advertisements for weight-loss and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro. The Danish drugmaker claims Lilly's ads rely on "outdated" clinical trials that compare the highest doses of Lilly's medicines to lower doses of Novo's Wegovy and Ozempic, creating a false impression of superiority Source: Fox Business. Novo also argues that the ads omit newer, higher-dose options like the recently approved 7.2 mg dose of Wegovy Source: CNBC.

The ad dispute

At the center of the lawsuit is a Lilly campaign that aired during global sporting events and on social media platforms, which Novo says has been shown over 700 million times Source: Fox Business. Novo sent a cease-and-desist letter in April but received no response Source: BBC. Lilly, however, defends the ads, stating they are based on the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head trial comparing 10 mg or 15 mg of Zepbound with 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg of Wegovy Source: Fox Business. A Lilly spokesperson said, "Rather than compete on the merits of its products, Novo is asking a court to stop Lilly from communicating the results of that trial" Source: Fox Business.

What's next

Novo is seeking a court order to pull the ads and run corrective advertising, as well as damages tied to profits from the campaign Source: CNBC. The company has indicated it will seek a preliminary injunction if Lilly does not voluntarily remove the commercials Source: BBC. The lawsuit underscores the fierce competition in the obesity drug market, which analysts project could exceed $100 billion by 2030 Source: Fox Business.