(Updates with responses from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly in the fourth and fifth paragraphs.)
Novo Nordisk (NVO) is seeking a preliminary US court injunction to immediately block advertising by Eli Lilly (LLY) for its obesity and diabetes drugs, escalating the companies' legal dispute over weight-loss drug marketing, Reuters reported Friday.
According to the report, Novo Nordisk said it filed the request after suing Lilly earlier this week, alleging false advertising and unfair competition related to marketing campaigns for Zepbound and Mounjaro.
Novo alleges Lilly's ads misrepresented how the companies' drugs compare. Lilly denied the allegations and said it will vigorously defend the lawsuit, Reuters added.
In a statement emailed to, John Kuckelman, Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, Novo Nordisk, said: "Millions of Americans living with obesity and type 2 diabetes rely on these medicines. Misleading advertisements that selectively compare lower doses of Novo Nordisk's medicines against higher doses of Lilly's medicines, based on outdated studies, leave patients with the mistaken impression that Lilly's drugs are vastly superior, and that is simply not true."
A Lilly spokesperson commented: "Head-to-head clinical trials are the strongest evidence for comparing medicines. SURMOUNT-5 and SURPASS-2 are the only head-to-head, randomized clinical trials directly comparing tirzepatide and semaglutide - and Novo Nordisk wants to stop Lilly from sharing their results. Novo Nordisk has never tested its highest doses of semaglutide against Lilly's tirzepatide medicines in any clinical trial; instead, it is using a lawsuit to advance comparisons it has never put to the test. We stand behind the science and our advertising, and we will oppose this motion vigorously."
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
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