Emma Bascom , 2025-06-24 19:49:00
Key takeaways:
- Novo Nordisk alleges that Hims & Hers Health has engaged in illegal drug compounding and deceptive marketing.
- Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum said that Novo Nordisk has been attempting to “strong-arm” the company.
Novo Nordisk has cut ties with Hims & Hers Health, alleging that the latter company has engaged in deceptive marketing tactics and illegal compounding, risking patient safety.
Novo Nordisk began collaborating with telehealth companies in late April, after the FDA had declared that there was no longer a shortage of Wegovy (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), in a bid to support patients’ transitions from knockoff, compounded versions of Wegovy to the FDA-approved, authentic product, according to a press release from Novo Nordisk. The shortage previously opened the door for GLP-1 dupes to flood the market.
Novo Nordisk has cut ties with Hims & Hers Health, alleging that the latter company has engaged in illegal tactics that risk patient safety. Image: Adobe Stock
More than a month since the collaboration began, Hims & Hers has “failed to adhere to the law which prohibits mass sales of compounded drugs under the false guise of ‘personalization’ and are disseminating deceptive marketing that put patient safety at risk,” according to the release.
An investigation from Novo Nordisk revealed that the active semaglutide ingredients in knock-off drugs are manufactured in China. In most cases, the FDA has never approved these suppliers’ manufacturing processes, quality of the product or laboratory conditions, according to the release.
“Novo Nordisk is deeply concerned and is continuing to take proactive measures to keep U.S. patients safe from knock-off drugs made with foreign illicit active pharmaceutical ingredients,” according to the release. “U.S. patients should not be exposed to knock-off drugs made with unsafe and illicit foreign ingredients.”
Novo Nordisk’s pharmacy, NovoCare, will no longer allow Hims & Hers direct access to Wegovy. However, the company will continue to make the product available “to select telehealth organizations that share our commitment to safe and effective medical treatment for patients living with chronic diseases,” according to the release.
“Novo Nordisk is firm on our position and protecting patients living with obesity. When patients are prescribed semaglutide treatments by their licensed health care professional or a telehealth provider, they are entitled to receive authentic, FDA-approved and regulated Wegovy,” Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. Operations for Novo Nordisk, said in the release. “We will work with telehealth companies to provide direct access to Wegovy that share our commitment to patient safety — and when companies engage in illegal sham compounding that jeopardizes the health of Americans, we will continue to take action.”
Andrew Dudum, founder and CEO of Hims & Hers, posted a response statement on X that said he was “disappointed to see Novo Nordisk management misleading the public.”
“In recent weeks, Novo Nordisk’s commercial team increasingly pressured us to control clinical standards and steer patients to Wegovy regardless of whether it was clinically best for patients. We refuse to be strong-armed by any pharmaceutical company’s anticompetitive demands that infringe on the independent decision making of providers and limit patient choice,” Dudum said in the statement. “We take our role of protecting the ability of providers and patients to control individual treatment decisions extremely seriously, and will not compromise the integrity of our platform to appease a third party or preserve a collaboration.
“The health and wellness of individuals always comes first,” he continued. “We will continue to offer access to a range of treatments, including Wegovy, to ensure providers can serve the individual needs of patients.”
Editor’s note: This is a developing news story. Please check back soon for more details.
