US judge refuses to block Eli Lilly weight-loss drug ads, rules against Novo Nordisk

Key Points:

• US District Judge Zahid Quraishi denied Novo Nordisk's request for a preliminary injunction against Eli Lilly, ruling that Novo Nordisk failed to prove that Eli Lilly's advertisements caused significant harm to its sales, goodwill, or clinical reputation.
• Novo Nordisk sued Eli Lilly over ads for the obesity drug Zepbound and diabetes treatment Mounjaro, alleging false advertising by comparing higher doses of Lilly's products to lower doses of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic.
• The judge found that Eli Lilly's ads had minimal market impact from April to July, with Novo Nordisk's prescriptions remaining stable, and stated that monetary damages could address any harm without an injunction.
• Novo Nordisk expressed disappointment but noted the ruling did not determine whether Lilly's advertising was false or misleading, while Eli Lilly welcomed the decision and denied wrongdoing.
• Weight-loss drugs represent a significant and growing market, with Novo Nordisk reporting $32 billion in sales for obesity medicines and Ozempic in 2025, and the US market projected to exceed $100 billion by 2030.