Bayer sues J&J over ‘misleading claims’ about prostate cancer drug

Underscoring the high-stakes market for prostate cancer medicines, Bayer filed a lawsuit accusing Johnson & Johnson of launching a “false advertising campaign” that uses flawed data to wrongfully promote its rival drug as a more effective treatment.

At issue are claims J&J made in a Feb. 2 press release, as well as in presentations on its website, about its Erleada prostate cancer drug in comparison with a Bayer medication called Nubeqa. Both drugs are androgen receptor inhibitors that can prevent the growth of cancer cells and are frequently combined with other treatments.

It was only last June that Bayer won U.S. regulatory approval to market its drug in combination with androgen deprivation therapy, posing new competition for the J&J drug. This prompted J&J to promote its medication as a superior choice in the press release and on two website slide presentations aimed at physicians, the lawsuit stated.