“Where's Curtis Wright, when you need him?” - Novo, probably… 

Well, Novo Nordisk finally had something going for it… the only oral GLP-1 weight-loss pill on the market… and still managed to get kneecapped by the refs. The FDA just told Novo to pull its TV ads because they’re “false or misleading”. 

(Source: Giphy) 

Case in point: Apparently the words “live lighters” and “a way forward” are no busch-league illegal. The FDA says that kind of language implies superior outcomes versus competitors, which you’re not allowed to do unless you want to LARP as a federal defendant.  So the ads are misbranding the drug, and that makes distribution a violation of federal law. 

(Source: CNBC) 

Novo, of course, confirmed it got the letter and promised to take the feedback “seriously,” which is what every company says right before quietly deleting half its ad library. They did clarify one thing though: This wasn’t their Super Bowl spot (thank gawd). Which is good, considering they definitiely need that extra $8 mil (read: price per Super Bowl spot) to I don’t know… stop getting absolutely blasted by Eli Lilly. 

Translation: Novo has continued to lose share to Eli Lilly on injectables, getting undercut by compounded knockoffs, and watching vibe-based telehealth brands like Hims hoover up attention with lighter regulatory risk and much heavier meme immunity. Which is why Novo’s new pill was supposed to be the counterpunch. Easier to take. Broader appeal. Cleaner story. Instead, the headline is “FDA says stop implying your drug makes life better,” which is objectively funny and strategically annoying.

(Source: Giphy) 

That said, this is the new reality of Big Pharma marketing right now. You can spend billions inventing a molecule, but one adjective too many and the government shows up with a red pen and a clipboard to brutalize your momentum. 

But hey, Novo is still managing up on the day (+.12%), presumably because Novo shareholders like it rough. But for now, it’s apparent that the company that finally cracked the GLP-1 pill market is learning the hard way that hope is not an FDA-approved claim. Meaning, keep your eyes on this story and place yo bets accordingly. Until next time, friends… 

At the time of publishing, Stocks.News does not hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.