A unit of Bayer AG accused rival Johnson & Johnson of misleading statements in its advertisements to get a leg up in the multi-billion dollar market for prostate cancer drugs.
J&J's campaign for its Erleada drug "contains improper and misleading claims" about the medication's safety and effectiveness, which Bayer claims is hurting prospects for its cancer drug, Nubeqa, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in New York federal court. Bayer asked a judge to order J&J to correct its claims.
Nubeqa is a new entrant in the market and generated more than $1.8 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2025, which prompted J&J to launch "a false advertising campaign" against the rival drug, according to the 40-page complaint. J&J's Erleada generated more than $2.6 billion over the same period, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Bayer contends J&J's ads falsely claimed Erleada users showed a "51% reduction in the risk of death" compared with Nubeqa patients, which the German company said "is certain to affect prescribing decisions for doctors and patients, as well as erode trust in Bayer's Nubeqa product." Bayer also took issue with the testing that backed up the claims about Erleada and said J&J intentionally made misstatements to hurt demand for Nubeqa.
"J&J's advertising campaign contains improper and misleading claims that are negatively impacting Bayer's legitimate business," the German conglomerate said in the suit. "The campaign should be halted immediately."
Johnson & Johnson said in an emailed statement that the company "stands by the rigor and integrity of our real-world, head-to-head analysis that shows a 51% reduction in risk of death" for Erleada users. "Litigation does not change data."
The suit is the latest twist in the battle for market share among drug makers. More than $16 billion was spent on prostate-cancer treatments last year and could top $34 billion by 2030, according to BioSpace, a life-sciences research site.
Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death for US males, ranking only behind heart disease, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 330,000 US men are diagnosed annually with the ailment, and of that number, 35,000 die each year.
Nubeqa, first launched in 2019, was developed by Bayer and Orion Corp. and is approved for use along with some types of chemotherapy. Erleada was approved by US regulators in 2018, making it the first such drug on the market.
The case is Bayer Healthcare v. Johnson & Johnson, 26-cv-1479, US District Court for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan).