Swiss Newspaper Challenges Drug Advertising Allegations

Two cases are currently pending before the courts, as a spokeswoman for the NZZ confirmed on Friday in response to an enquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency.

In the case of a journalist's first-person reportage on migraines, the Federal Administrative Court has upheld Swissmedic's ruling. In May 2025, the court ruled that the article created a promotional impression and was one-sided. The NZZ appealed this decision to the Federal Supreme Court.

+ Swiss regulator and media clash over weight-loss drugs

Swissmedic also demanded that the NZZ delete several publications in connection with reports on weight-loss injections. According to information from CH Media, this involves a video, a series on a weight loss self-experiment and two journalistic texts. The media company is also defending itself against this order before the Federal Administrative Court.

Swissmedic justified its action to CH Media with its legal mandate.“Advertising reporting can lead to patients putting pressure on doctors to prescribe a certain preparation,” a spokeswoman said. However, objective reporting on medicines is still possible.

This content was published on Jun 4, 2026 Pharma giants are bankrolling obesity awareness campaigns, raising thorny questions about what constitutes drug advertising.