Novo defends suit over Lilly weight-loss ads as GLP-1 rivalry grows
What's new: Novo argues Lilly's ads compare Zepbound with older Wegovy doses, not the 7.2 mg version cleared in March.
Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar defended the company's lawsuit against Eli Lilly, arguing Lilly's ads for Zepbound give consumers an incomplete comparison with Novo's rival obesity drug Wegovy. Novo sued last month, alleging the campaign misleads patients by citing a head-to-head trial against older Wegovy doses rather than the newer 7.2 mg version that the FDA approved in March. Lilly countered that its advertising is truthful and said Novo has no head-to-head trial showing Wegovy HD matches Zepbound. The dispute underscores intensifying competition in the fast-growing GLP-1 market, where Lilly has gained share in injectable weight-loss drugs. Since the suit was filed, Novo shares have fallen 6% and Lilly shares have risen nearly 4%.