The basics:
- Novo Nordisk, Hims & Hers resolve GLP-1 drug lawsuit
- Wegovy, Ozempic to be offered on Hims & Hers platform
- Hims & Hers agrees to stop selling compounded semaglutide
- FDA-backed deal expands access to approved weight-loss drugs
Novo Nordisk and Hims & Hers have ended a legal feud with an agreement that allows the telehealth platform to sell the pharma giant’s blockbuster brand-name GLP-1 drugs.
In separate statements issued March 9, the companies said Wegovy and Ozempic would be available on Hims & Hers later this month.
The announcement came exactly a month after Novo Nordisk filed a lawsuit against Hims & Hers claiming the company’s compounded products in the U.S. infringe on its patent for semaglutide.
The legal action followed Hims & Hers’ plan to begin offering compounded copies of the Wegovy pill for an introductory price of $49 per month and $99 thereafter with a five-month plan.
Hims & Hers quickly reversed course on its cheaper, copycat version of the Wegovy weight loss pill amid backlash from both Novo Nordisk and the federal government.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration pledged to take “decisive steps” to restrict GLP-1 ingredients used in non-approved compounded drugs that companies, like Hims & Hers, have marketed as authorized treatments. The agency also cited concerns over quality, safety, and potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Additionally, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services General Counsel Mike Stuart said he referred Hims & Hers to the Department of Justice for an investigation over potential violations.
Part of the deal
As part of the new resolution, Hims & Hers will no longer sell compounded versions of Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drugs.
It will also offer access to the company’s injectable and oral semaglutide at the same price as other telehealth platforms.
In exchange, Novo Nordisk agreed to drop its lawsuit. However, the Danish drugmaker noted that it reserves “the right to refile in the future.”
This agreement with Hims & Hers is a meaningful win for patients in the United States.
– Mike Doustdar, Novo Nordisk CEO and president
Novo Nordisk CEO and President Mike Doustdar said, “This agreement with Hims & Hers is a meaningful win for patients in the United States. By expanding access through leading telehealth providers and digital care platforms, we are helping to connect more people with our FDA-approved medicines, which have been evaluated for safety and efficacy.”
“Our goal is simple: ensure that every patient who can benefit from our medicines has the opportunity to access them, wherever they choose to receive care,” he also said.
Working ‘to create a new model’
Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum commented, “We see tremendous growth opportunities in the U.S. with the expanding assortment of branded GLP-1 medications. I’m excited to have a great partner in Novo Nordisk as we work to create a new model that works for everyday people.
“This collaboration reflects what’s possible globally when drugmakers, biotech companies, and diagnostic leaders partner with consumer platforms to support scaled distribution of their latest medical innovations,” Dudum continued.
This collaboration reflects what’s possible globally when drugmakers, biotech companies, and diagnostic leaders partner with consumer platforms to support scaled distribution of their latest medical innovations.
– Andrew Dudum, Hims & Hers CEO
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary was also optimistic. In a social media post, he said he was glad to see that Hims & Hers will stop advertising unapproved compounded drugs and instead sell FDA-approved products through the deal with Novo Nordisk.
“Importantly, they will keep them affordable (no increase in price) and limit compounded GLP-1s for rare (FDA compliant) cases,” Makary wrote.
Now in pill form
Up until recently, Wegovy was only available as an injection. A once-daily oral version hit the market in January as the first and only FDA-approved GLP-1 pill for weight loss.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in GLP-1 drugs, is protected in the U.S. until 2032. Besides Wegovy, Novo Nordisk has two other semaglutide medications:
- Once-weekly injectable Ozempic for type 2 diabetes
- Once-daily oral treatment Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes
The company has its U.S. headquarters in Plainsboro.
On and off again
Less than a year ago, Novo Nordisk and San Francisco-headquartered Hims & Hers revealed plans to embark on a long-term collaboration to make obesity treatment more accessible.
The move came in the wake of the FDA’s move to remove semaglutide from its shortage list in February 2025. The FDA also told compounding pharmacies to stop producing unbranded versions by May.
In support of transitioning patients from knockoff compounded versions to authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy, Novo Nordisk began partnering with telehealth companies, like Hims & Hers.
However, less than two months later, Novo Nordisk ended the relationship in June 2025. At the time, the drugmaker said it based the determination on the “deceptive promotion and selling of illegitimate knockoff versions” that “put patient safety at risk.”
The post Novo Nordisk, Hims & Hers settle GLP-1 drug dispute appeared first on NJBIZ.
