Novo Nordisk suing Eli Lilly over GLP-1 'outdated' advertisements
by Joe Fisher · UPIJuly 21 (UPI) -- Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against competitor Eli Lilly, alleging that its GLP-1 advertisements are misleading.
Novo Nordisk claims that Eli Lilly is citing "outdated" clinical trial data in advertisements that claim its injectable weight-loss drugs are superior. The lawsuit contends that the advertisements are "deliberately false."
"What's really in focus here is a nationwide pattern of deceptive advertising, where campaigns are misleading people with obesity and diabetes by comparing the highest doses of Lilly's medicines with the lower doses of Novo's medicines," John Kuckelman, senior vice president and group general counsel for Novo Nordisk, said in an interview with USA Today. "The patients are left with the misleading impression that Lilly's drugs are superior to Novo's."
The advertisements in question do not include updated evidence on Novo Nordisk's recently approved high-dose version of Wegovy, which is comparable to the weight loss drugs produced by Eli Lilly.
Novo Nordisk alleges that Eli Lilly is in violation of the Lanham Act, a law that protects trademarks and remedies false advertising. It claims that Eli Lilly's advertisements on television and social media are harmful because they mislead consumers.
"Lilly's advertising campaign deprives consumers of the truthful, current, and complete information that they need to make informed decisions about their available treatment options," the lawsuit reads.
Novo Nordisk is seeking to have Eli Lilly's advertisements that compare the companies' drugs pulled and for Eli Lilly to run a "corrective advertising campaign."
Eli Lilly has four FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs on the market: Zepbound, Mounjaro, Trulicity and the pill Foundayo.
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