Novo Nordisk on Tuesday sued Eli Lilly for allegedly running a “deceptive” ad campaign that uses “outdated clinical trials” to make its obesity and diabetes drugs appear more effective, marking a new phase in one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most intense rivalries. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in New Jersey, Novo argued that Lilly has been comparing the highest doses of its weight loss drug Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro with lower doses of Novo’s Wegovy and Ozempic. “What has brought us to this moment is what we now see as a nationwide pattern, by Lilly, of deceptive advertising.

They are intentionally confusing consumers,” John Kuckelman, Novo’s general counsel and senior vice president, said in an interview. Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…