Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit against its US rival Eli Lilly. The Danish company, maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, accuses Lilly of running false and misleading advertisements for its competing weight-loss treatments, Zepbound and Mounjaro.
Novo Nordisk claims Lilly's ads intentionally used outdated studies and omitted critical clinical data to suggest broad superiority of its products. The advertising campaign reportedly aired during major global sporting events and on social media platforms.
Eli Lilly has responded firmly. The company told AFP that its advertising is based on the Surmount-5 trial, which it calls the only direct head-to-head clinical trial comparing the two companies' active molecules, tirzepatide and semaglutide, for weight management. Lilly states it stands by its campaign and characterizes the lawsuit as an attempt to prevent it from communicating valid trial results.
Both companies' drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone and represent a significant financial windfall, used for weight loss and treating type 2 diabetes.