Home / Business and Economy / Judge Rejects Bayer's Bid Against J&J Cancer Drug Claims
Judge Rejects Bayer's Bid Against J&J Cancer Drug Claims
18 Apr
Summary
- A US judge denied Bayer's request to halt Johnson & Johnson's advertising.
- Bayer sued J&J, alleging false claims about prostate cancer drug efficacy.
- Sales for Nubeqa were 2.39 billion euros, Erleada sales were $3.57 billion in 2025.
A U.S. District Court judge in Manhattan has denied Bayer's request for an injunction against Johnson & Johnson's advertising for the prostate cancer drug Erleada. The ruling, issued on Friday night, signifies a setback for Bayer's legal challenge.
Bayer had sued J&J on February 23, accusing the company of making false claims that Erleada reduces the risk of death from prostate cancer by 51%. Bayer argued that these claims were misleading and caused irreparable harm to its own drug, Nubeqa.
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho determined that Bayer failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits of its case. The judge found that Johnson & Johnson's campaign accurately reflected its study's findings and that Bayer had not identified significant methodological flaws.
Johnson & Johnson celebrated the decision as a victory for patients and scientific exchange, emphasizing the value of real-world evidence. Bayer, however, stated it continues to believe its false advertising claims are supported by evidence and looks forward to a full court determination.
In 2025, approximately 313,780 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States, and 35,770 died from the disease. Sales for Bayer's Nubeqa totaled 2.39 billion euros ($2.81 billion) in 2025, while Johnson & Johnson's Erleada generated $3.57 billion in sales during the same year.
