Novo Nordisk filed a lawsuit against rival Eli Lilly, accusing the latter of false advertising regarding weight-loss medications.
Novo Nordisk said Eli Lilly’s claims that its medications work better than Novo’s are not true, Reuters reported.
The lawsuit was filed in district court in New Jersey, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The lawsuit alleges that Lilly used high doses of its Zepbound to compare with lower doses of Wegovy and Ozempic while also using outdated trials.
“The ads are maliciously and deceptively false because Lilly knowingly cites outdated clinical trials that compare the highest doses of the Lilly medicines to lower doses of Novo Nordisk’s medicines,” Novo Nordisk said in the suit.
Novo Nordisk sent Eli Lilly a cease-and-desist letter in April but said they did not receive a response, according to The Wall Street Journal.
An Eli Lilly spokesperson responded, “Rather than compete on the merits of its products, Novo is asking a court to stop Lilly from communicating the results of that trial. We will continue to focus on the science and defend against this lawsuit vigorously.”
Novo Nordisk is asking for a court order for Eli Lilly to stop the advertisements and to run a campaign that corrects the claims. If Lilly does not voluntarily take down the ads, then Novo is asking for a preliminary injunction, Reuters reported.
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