Allegations of monopoly and suppressed competition On January 14, 2026, Strive Compounding Pharmacy (headquartered in Arizona, USA) filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in Texas against Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The lawsuit alleges that the two pharmaceutical giants engaged in coordinated efforts to suppress smaller competitors and limit patient access to lawful, lower-cost compounded versions of weight-loss medications.
Disputed tactics The plaintiff (Strive) presented evidence suggesting that the two corporations utilized their market dominance to execute the following strategies:
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Exclusive Agreements: Forging partnerships with telehealth platforms that prohibit them from prescribing or distributing medications from third-party compounders.
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Distribution Channel Interference: Pressuring payment processors and technology partners to block compounded medications from entering the market.
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Communication Campaigns: Accusing Eli Lilly of intentionally labeling compounded products as unsafe to undermine the reputation of competitors.
Responses from stakeholders
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Novo Nordisk: Asserted that the claims are meritless and stated their priority is protecting patients from unapproved “knockoff” drugs. At a concurrent healthcare conference, the firm’s CEO estimated that 1.5 million Americans use compounded versions, suggesting these pharmacies prioritize low prices to attract consumers.
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Eli Lilly: Termed the lawsuit an attempt to divert attention from its own prior litigation against Strive for allegedly false and misleading advertising.
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FDA: As of late 2025, the agency declared that weight-loss drug shortages had been resolved, resulting in stricter enforcement that no longer permits compounders to mass-produce copies of brand-name drugs as they did previously.