Hims Introduces $49 Compounded Version of Wegovy Weight-Loss Drug

Hims Launches Compounded Wegovy Alternative

By Amina Niasse

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Online telehealth company Hims and Hers Health will start offering compounded copies of Novo Nordisk's new Wegovy weight-loss pill at an introductory price of $49 per month, the company said on Thursday, about $100 less than the brand name.

Shares of Novo extended losses in early morning trading, and were off 8.6% after the news. Shares in rival Lilly were off 4% in premarket trading.

Pricing and Subscription Plans

Hims' compounded version of the treatment is made from the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as the one from Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk. 

Market Response and Competition

Hims said that the $49 one-month introductory price will rise to $99 per month for those who purchase a five-month plan and pay upfront. The price is higher for a three-month subscription. Novo plans to charge $199, with no subscription.

Regulatory Concerns and FDA Warnings

The announcement comes as Novo warned on Wednesday that pricing pressure was unprecedented for its weight-loss medicines and dropped its forecast. Shares in Novo fell on Thursday to their lowest level since July 2021.

HIMS CEO: 'MORE CHOICE' POSITIVE FOR CUSTOMERS

Hims said the treatment can be tailored for patients aiming to mitigate side effects or who prefer the pill over the injectable option. 

"We're excited to find ways to continue bringing branded treatments to the platform across specialties. More choice on the platform is the best thing for customers everywhere," said Hims CEO Andrew Dudum in a statement.

Novo launched the drug in the beginning of January and has seen strong demand in the U.S., where it is available on its cash-pay direct-to-consumer website.

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk was not immediately available for comment.

Novo CFO Karsten Munk Knudsen told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that the drugmaker is "still frustrated" that "mass marketing of a product unapproved by the FDA" is continuing, and said it was up to the U.S. regulator and politicians to address this. "Predicting if and when the tide turns is really hard," Knudsen said, referring to the compounding market.

NOVO WARNED ON PRICE PRESSURE

Novo said Wednesday customers shifted to the cash-pay market and insurers demanded deep discounts after it agreed to lower prices at the request of the Trump Administration, forcing its shares to plummet. It is also facing competition from Eli Lilly, which hopes to launch its own pill in a few months.

 Novo and Hims had a partnership in 2025 allowing Hims to offer injectable Wegovy, but the two companies walked away with Novo saying Hims had wrongfully marketed copycats of Wegovy. Hims' Dudum accused Novo of attempting to control how clinicians at Hims make decisions.

 Compounding, in which pharmacies mix ingredients to copy a drug but at different dosages, is allowed in the U.S. when the drug is personalized for a patient. The practice is flourishing even as copies of the branded version are readily available. Hims currently offers compounded versions of injectable Wegovy. Mass compounding is allowed when a drug is considered to be in shortage by regulators. Novo's products are not in shortage.

The Food and Drug Administration in September issued a warning to Hims regarding its marketing of compounded semaglutide, stating claims like "same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy" are misleading, as compounded drugs are not FDA-approved.

In 2025, Hims doubled the size of its facility in New Albany, Ohio. The company said on Thursday the expansion allows Hims to provide treatments at a lower price.

Novo Nordisk has said states should limit mass manufacturing of weight-loss drug copies to protect patient safety.

(Reporting by Amina Niasse; additional reporting by Maggie Fick in London and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Caroline Humer, Stephen Coates and Lisa Shumaker)