Novo Nordisk Files Suit Against Eli Lilly

The world's two key producers of insulin, Denmark's Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly of the USA, are to enter the courtroom over what NN claims are misleading statements by Eli Lilly concerning NN products and trademarks.

NN has filed a lawsuit in a New York District Court alleging that Lilly, in marketing its Humulin cartridges, has deliberately created packaging materials with false and misleading statements concerning NN products and trademarks.

Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals' president Ken Capuano said: "Eli Lilly began marketing its cartridges in the USA recently stating that 'the cartridges fit into several insulin injection devices; the NovoPen and the NovoPen 1.5 marketed by Novo Nordisk...' Obviously, the attempt was not a surprise to Novo Nordisk, as Lilly has tried to market its product the same way in other countries and failed." He added that his firm believes that Lilly is trying to create a false and misleading impression that NN has approved the use of Lilly cartridges in NN pen systems.