Overview
- Novo filed a federal lawsuit last month in New Jersey alleging Eli Lilly ran misleading TV and digital ads that compare Lilly’s highest-dose tirzepatide results to older, lower-dose semaglutide data and asking the court to block the ads and require corrective messaging.
- Eli Lilly says its commercials are truthful and grounded in the SURMOUNT-5 head‑to‑head trial that showed tirzepatide produced about 20.2% mean weight loss versus roughly 13.7% for semaglutide at the compared doses over 72 weeks.
- Novo counters that newer Wegovy HD (7.2 mg) data showing about 19% mean weight loss narrow that gap and says Lilly’s ads omit the most recent semaglutide evidence, a point its CEO has used publicly to defend the suit.
- The commercial fight runs alongside product moves: Lilly has reported stronger recent revenue growth and won regulatory clearance this month for its Foundayo oral pill in the U.K., while Novo leads early oral sales with the Wegovy pill but posted mixed quarterly results.
- The legal outcome could reshape how companies present comparative trial data to consumers and doctors, affect patient choice and payer coverage, and has already moved markets with Novo shares down and Lilly shares up since the filing.