Victoza Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Consumers alleged that Victoza (liraglutide), a type 2 diabetes drug made by Novo Nordisk, caused pancreatic cancer. The FDA label reports acute pancreatitis in treated patients. It also carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents.

The pancreatic cancer suits were combined in a multidistrict proceeding. The Ninth Circuit held, as reported in March 2022, that the judgment for Novo Nordisk was proper.

A proposed antitrust class action against Novo Nordisk was reported in January 2026. It concerns delayed generic competition and prices, not injuries.

Latest Victoza Lawsuit Updates

January 26, 2026: Antitrust Class Action Targets Generic Delay

Law360 and Bloomberg Law reported that J M Smith Corp. filed a proposed class action [1, 2]. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

The suit alleges Novo Nordisk paid Teva to delay a generic version of Victoza until June 2024. The claims allege anticompetitive conduct and prices, not injuries.

March 29, 2022: Ninth Circuit Judgment for Novo Nordisk Reported

Bloomberg Law reported that the Ninth Circuit held Novo Nordisk was properly granted judgment in litigation alleging Victoza caused pancreatic cancer. The consumers offered no admissible evidence linking the medication to the disease [3].

Jean Adams and others had sued Novo Nordisk and other drugmakers. A multidistrict proceeding in the Southern District of California heard the combined suits.

January 25, 2010: FDA Approves Victoza

Novo Nordisk announced that the FDA approved the new drug application for Victoza (liraglutide) for type 2 diabetes [4]. The company called it the first once-daily human GLP-1 analog for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

What Is Victoza?

According to the FDA label, the drug Victoza (liraglutide) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist given by injection [5].

The label says it helps improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, along with diet and exercise.

Who May Be Affected?

People who took Victoza for type 2 diabetes are the patients the FDA label addresses. Patients who had acute pancreatitis while on Victoza match a condition the label reports.

Purchasers of Victoza are a separate group. The proposed antitrust class action covers them. Whether any claim remains depends on your own facts. These include when you took Victoza and your diagnosis. Only an individual legal review can say.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The Victoza label carries a boxed warning. It says liraglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rats and mice. No one knows if Victoza causes these tumors in humans, including medullary thyroid carcinoma.

The same label says acute pancreatitis has been observed in patients treated with Victoza. That includes fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. The label bases this on spontaneous postmarketing reports.

Pancreatic cancer is the injury the consumers alleged in court. Reports to a label are not proof that Victoza caused any one case. The court record is separate from the label.

Evidence to Preserve

Keep records that show what you took, when you took it and what followed:

• Prescription and pharmacy records that show your Victoza dose and the dates you took it.
• The pen packaging and any lot information you still have from your Victoza supply.
• Medical records of any pancreatitis, thyroid or pancreatic cancer diagnosis, with imaging and lab results.
• Hospital bills and a diary of your symptoms, with the date of each entry.
• Messages with your prescribers and with the manufacturer about Victoza and your symptoms.

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines come from state law, so they vary with where you live. They also vary with when the illness and injury happened.

Some states start the clock at diagnosis. That makes the date of your own diagnosis one of the first facts to write down.

Missing a deadline can end a claim, however strong the facts are. A prompt legal review matters, so ask a lawyer about your own dates soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There a Victoza Lawsuit?

There is a Victoza lawsuit of a different kind from the injury suits. J M Smith Corp., a South Carolina drug company, brought the proposed antitrust class action. The latest reported ruling in the injury litigation came in March 2022.

What Does the Research Say About Victoza and Pancreatic Cancer?

The research on Victoza and pancreatic cancer includes a court finding. The Ninth Circuit said the plaintiffs lacked admissible evidence of a link. The August 2017 label’s pancreatitis warning comes from spontaneous postmarketing reports. Those are observations, not proven causes.

What Does the Victoza Label Say About Confirmed Pancreatitis?

The Victoza label says that if pancreatitis is confirmed, Victoza should not be restarted. Section 5.2 of the label gives that instruction. It appears with the label’s warning on pancreatitis in treated patients.

Which Drugmakers Besides Novo Nordisk Were Sued over Victoza?

Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Amylin Pharmaceuticals LLC and Eli Lilly and Co. were sued over Victoza alongside Novo Nordisk. The drugmakers first won judgment on arguments that federal law blocked the warning claims.

References

1. https://www.law360.com/articles/2433798
2. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/antitrust/novo-nordisk-accused-of-pay-for-delay-scheme-involving-victoza
3. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/product-liability-and-toxics-law/novo-nordisk-beats-appeal-in-diabetes-drug-cancer-litigation
4. https://www.novonordisk-us.com/media/news-archive/news-details.html?id=36952
5. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/022341s027lbl.pdf