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French Drug Regulator Fines Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly Over Obesity Drug Promotions

The move signals tighter policing of public messaging on GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs in France.

Overview

  • ANSM, France’s medicines agency, fined Novo Nordisk France more than €1.78 million and Eli Lilly France €108,766 on Monday.
  • The regulator said the companies’ public campaigns risked indirect promotion of prescription‑only medicines, which cannot be advertised to the general public in France.
  • The fines target Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda (€1,000,000) and Wegovy (€783,838) and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, all GLP‑1 analogue drugs prescribed for weight management in defined cases.
  • ANSM cited wide exposure across billboards, transport, press, and social media and warned that such messages could mislead people as reports of cosmetic misuse of GLP‑1 drugs grow.
  • Novo Nordisk said it firmly contests the decision and is weighing appeals, while Eli Lilly said it takes note of the ruling and maintains its campaign complied with health‑communication rules.