Novo Outspends Eli Lilly on US Ads for Weight Loss and Diabetes Drugs

Data shows Novo Nordisk spent nearly $500 million on US advertising for Wegovy and Ozempic, more than double Eli Lilly's spend on rival drugs.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 5:47am

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According to data from advertising tracking firm MediaRadar, Novo Nordisk spent nearly $500 million on U.S. advertising for its weight loss drug Wegovy and diabetes medication Ozempic in the first nine months of 2025. This was more than double the $214 million that Eli Lilly spent advertising its rival obesity treatment Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro during the same period. The advertising blitz reflects a shift in drug availability, as the companies were previously unable to meet high demand due to shortages.

Why it matters

The aggressive advertising campaigns by Novo and Eli Lilly highlight the intense competition in the lucrative markets for weight loss and diabetes treatments. The U.S. is unusual in allowing direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, which has been criticized for driving up healthcare costs. The advertising battle also reflects the companies' efforts to gain market share as they deal with issues like uneven insurance coverage and competition from telehealth companies selling compounded versions of their drugs.

The details

Novo Nordisk spent an estimated $316 million advertising its weight-loss drug Wegovy and $169 million on its diabetes medication Ozempic in the U.S. from January through September 2025. This was up 54% and 44% respectively from the same period in 2024. In comparison, Eli Lilly spent about $131 million advertising its obesity treatment Zepbound and $83 million promoting its diabetes medicine Mounjaro during the same time period. Lilly's Zepbound also overtook Wegovy in U.S. prescriptions last year, giving Lilly about 60% of the obesity drug market for 2025.

  • In the first nine months of 2025, Novo Nordisk spent nearly $500 million on U.S. advertising for its drugs.
  • From January through September 2024, Novo Nordisk spent $316 million advertising Wegovy and $169 million on Ozempic.
  • In the first nine months of 2025, Eli Lilly spent about $131 million advertising Zepbound and $83 million promoting Mounjaro.

The players

Novo Nordisk

A Danish pharmaceutical company that manufactures the weight-loss drug Wegovy and the diabetes medication Ozempic.

Eli Lilly

An American pharmaceutical company that manufactures the obesity treatment Zepbound and the diabetes drug Mounjaro.

David Moore

Novo Nordisk's executive vice president of U.S. operations.

Rajiv Leventhal

A senior analyst for digital health at market research firm Emarketer.

Rae McMahan

The senior vice president of payer solutions at Prescryptive, a company that helps patients find the lowest prices for drugs at pharmacies.

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What they’re saying

“When it comes to weight loss, Lilly has that edge with Zepbound, which is why, likely, Novo is looking to offset that with higher advertising investments.”

— Rajiv Leventhal, Senior analyst for digital health at Emarketer

“It's still a conversation that needs to be between the patient and their physician.”

— Rae McMahan, Senior vice president of payer solutions at Prescryptive

What’s next

Novo Nordisk plans to immediately advertise the new pill version of Wegovy and push sales through its cash-pay, direct-to-consumer channels.

The takeaway

The advertising battle between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly highlights the intense competition in the lucrative markets for weight loss and diabetes treatments. However, experts caution that advertising has limits in guiding treatment decisions, which should ultimately be made between patients and their physicians.