Wegovy vs. Mounjaro: Lawsuit in the U.S. Over Mounjaro’s Alleged False Advertising

The Intensifying Battle for Dominance in the Obesity Treatment Drug Market

Reuters Yonhap News

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which are dominating the global obesity drug market, have entered into a legal battle in the United States. As the two companies intensify their rivalry over advertisements touting their products' efficacy, competition in the obesity drug market is expected to become even fiercer.

According to CNBC on the 21st (local time), Novo Nordisk filed a lawsuit against Eli Lilly at the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, seeking an injunction to halt comparative advertising between their respective obesity drugs and to require Eli Lilly to release a corrective advertisement. Novo Nordisk argued that Eli Lilly caused harm by falsely advertising that its obesity drug, Mounjaro, had better efficacy than Wegovy, which was developed by Novo Nordisk.

Novo Nordisk stated, "Eli Lilly misled consumers through national advertising that compared the efficacy of low-dose Wegovy and high-dose Zepbound (Mounjaro), making it appear that Eli Lilly's product was more effective." Novo Nordisk further claimed, "Even though a high-dose version of Wegovy has already been launched, they are intentionally using outdated research to make the comparison."

The company added, "Since there are now newer and more effective treatments available, the public deserves accurate information reflecting the latest scientific evidence." Novo Nordisk also warned, "If Eli Lilly does not voluntarily withdraw its advertisements, we will seek a court injunction to stop them." While Novo Nordisk is reportedly considering seeking damages from Eli Lilly, the exact amount has not been disclosed.

Eli Lilly is strongly objecting. In a statement released that day, Eli Lilly said, "We firmly stand by our advertising. We will focus on scientific evidence and vigorously respond to the lawsuit," maintaining that there are no issues with the comparative advertisements.

Both Wegovy and Mounjaro are classified as GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Novo Nordisk, which was the first to develop a GLP-1 class diabetes treatment, currently holds over 30% of the diabetes drug market. As the efficacy of these treatments has been proven for obesity as well, Novo Nordisk developed Wegovy, gaining an early lead in the market.

Eli Lilly, as a later entrant, developed Zepbound for diabetes and competed with Novo Nordisk, subsequently launching Mounjaro as an obesity treatment and now challenging Novo Nordisk's dominance. In fact, Mounjaro ranked as the world's top-selling pharmaceutical product in the first quarter of this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.