According to newly obtained data, in a fierce battle for market share, Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk spent nearly $500 million on US advertising for its GLP-1 drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic, in the first nine months of 2025. This figure is more than double the advertising expenditure of its competitor, Eli Lilly, for similar medications.

This first-time disclosure from advertising tracker Media Radar shows that from January to September 2025, Novo Nordisk allocated approximately $316 million for advertising its weight-loss drug Wegovy in the US, and $169 million for its diabetes drug Ozempic. These amounts represent increases of 54% and 44%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2024.

During the same timeframe, Eli Lilly, the market leader headquartered in Indianapolis, spent about $131 million on advertising for its weight-loss drug Zepbound (a significant jump from just $2 million in the same period of 2024), and $83 million for its diabetes treatment Mounjaro.

In total, Novo Nordisk's US advertising expenditure for these drugs reached approximately $487 million, while Eli Lilly's totaled around $214 million. Both companies declined to comment on their advertising budgets.

It remains unclear how much Novo Nordisk plans to spend on advertising for its oral tablet version of Wegovy.

David Moore, Executive Vice President of Novo Nordisk's US operations, stated that the company plans to launch advertising for the oral tablet immediately and will drive product sales through direct-to-consumer, out-of-pocket payment channels.

The reimbursement coverage for this class of drugs within the US healthcare system is inconsistent, which has forced many patients to pay for them out-of-pocket.

The United States is one of the few countries that permits direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs, a system that has been criticized for contributing to the already high cost of American healthcare.

For instance, AbbVie spent over $850 million on advertising for its arthritis drugs, Humira and Rinvoq, in the first nine months of 2025; the company also declined to comment on this expenditure.

President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have introduced new disclosure regulations in an attempt to restrict the advertising practices of pharmaceutical companies.

In 2024, these GLP-1 drugs experienced unprecedented demand, leading to prolonged shortages as manufacturers struggled to keep up. The intensive advertising campaigns in 2025 indicate that the supply situation for these medications has improved.

Moore noted that Novo Nordisk had paused its advertising during the drug shortage and gradually increased its advertising efforts in 2025 as supply became more readily available.

Furthermore, data from a large head-to-head clinical trial released by Eli Lilly in late 2024 showed that patients taking Zepbound achieved 47% greater weight loss compared to those taking Wegovy.

"Eli Lilly's Zepbound holds an advantage in terms of weight loss efficacy, which is likely a key reason why Novo Nordisk has chosen to significantly increase its advertising spend to counter this disadvantage," said Rajiv Leventhal, Senior Digital Health Analyst at Analysys International.

A spokesperson for Eli Lilly stated that the company is committed to using multiple channels to disseminate information, ensuring consumers have access to accurate and timely details about its medications.

Data from IQVIA shared by a Wall Street analyst indicates that Zepbound's US prescription volume surpassed that of Wegovy in 2025, giving Eli Lilly approximately 60% of the US weight-loss drug market. IQVIA did not respond to a request for comment.

Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly also face the challenge of telehealth companies selling compounded versions of their drugs. During the shortage of the branded drugs, these companies were free to sell compounded alternatives; they now market customized, personalized doses that differ in formulation and dosage regimens from the original manufacturers' products.

Ray McMahan, Senior Vice President of Payer Solutions at Prescriptive Health, a company that helps patients find the lowest-priced medications at pharmacies, noted that advertising has a limited role in guiding treatment decisions for GLP-1 drugs.

"Ultimately, the decision to use these medications must be made through a discussion between the patient and their doctor," McMahan said.