On Friday, Novo Nordisk escalated its legal dispute with Eli Lilly by filing a motion for a preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The Danish pharmaceutical firm wants the court to immediately stop Lilly's advertising for its obesity and diabetes drugs, Zepbound and Mounjaro.
Earlier this week, Novo launched a lawsuit accusing Lilly of misleading advertising practices. The heart of the complaint lies in the fact that Lilly compares its highest approved doses of Zepbound and Mounjaro to lower-dose versions of Novo’s drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic, but fails to mention that Novo offers newer, higher-dose formulations that deliver more substantial weight loss.
These omissions form the basis of Novo's claim that Lilly’s campaigns contravene false advertising and unfair competition laws. Novo seeks not only to halt the ads temporarily while the case proceeds but also to force Lilly to withdraw them permanently and run corrective advertising to clarify the comparisons.
Stock movements on the day showed a slight dip in Novo Nordisk shares, down 0.02%, while Eli Lilly’s shares increased by nearly 2%. Lilly has denied any wrongdoing, stating it supports its advertising and intends to fight the allegations vigorously.
The dispute unfolds amid a rapidly growing GLP-1 drug market in the U.S., with projections estimating it could surpass $100 billion by 2030. Both companies are vying for dominance in this lucrative space, intensifying the stakes of their legal battle.
Novo’s motion for a preliminary injunction marks the next critical step in the case and will test whether the court finds enough merit to pause Lilly’s campaigns before a full trial.
