Novo Nordisk sues Lilly over misleading GLP-1 advertising campaigns

21 July 2026

Danish pharma major Novo Nordisk (NOV: N) today revealed it has filed a lawsuit against arch rival in the weight management sector, Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey for multiple violations of federal and state false advertising and unfair competition laws, including under the Lanham Act.

The lawsuit challenges Lilly's nationwide direct-to-consumer advertising for Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) as false and materially misleading to the millions of Americans living with obesity and type 2 diabetes because it omits relevant information about the most effective injectable doses of Wegovy (semaglutide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) available. This action follows Lilly's refusal to pull down or meaningfully correct certain ads, despite a formal cease-and-desist request from Novo Nordisk.

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