Novo nordisk strikes deal for hims to sell wegovy and ozempic, drops lawsuit

Novo Nordisk strikes deal for Hims to sell Wegovy and Ozempic, drops lawsuit

Novo Nordisk and Hims Reach Agreement on Weight-Loss Drugs

By Stine Jacobsen and Maggie Fick

Background of the Legal Dispute

COPENHAGEN, March 9 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk said on Monday it will sell its blockbuster Wegovy and Ozempic drugs through the U.S. telehealth company Hims & Hers Health platform, ending a legal dispute that erupted last month. 

The Danish drugmaker sued Hims in February over compounded versions of the Wegovy weight-loss pill that Hims launched and then pulled two days later, as well as compounded versions of Novo's injectable GLP-1s. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had also planned legal action against Hims over the unauthorized drugs. 

Shares of the telehealth company jumped more than 40% on Monday.

Challenges with Compounded Drugs

Novo has been grappling with telehealth firms selling cheaper compounded copycat versions of its obesity treatments, while Hims has been faced with the high cost of its personalized GLP-1 offerings, which it said is raising product costs.

Details of the Agreement

Under the agreement, Hims will offer approved Ozempic and Wegovy injectables, as well as the Wegovy pill, to U.S. consumers on its platform at Novo's self-pay prices. Hims had a short-lived agreement with Novo in 2025 to sell branded Wegovy.

Advertising and Regulatory Compliance

Hims will no longer advertise compounded GLP-1 drugs, though it will continue offering them when providers deem it clinically necessary. U.S. regulations allow companies to sell compounded versions of drugs in personalized doses not available in the branded forms, or with special ingredients.

FDA Response

"Glad to see HIMS will stop advertising unapproved compounded drugs and instead sell FDA-approved products through its new partnership with Novo Nordisk. Importantly, they will keep them affordable (no increase in price) and limit compounded GLP-1s for rare (FDA compliant) cases," FDA commissioner Marty Makary wrote in a post on X.

"I'd like to congratulate both parties on this deal following our recent action."

The FDA last month said it would take decisive steps against companies mass-marketing illegal copycat drugs, including Hims, spurring the company to reverse course on selling a copy of Novo's pill.

Market Impact and Competition

Competition Drives Price Cuts

Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar said the Wegovy pill had generated more than 600,000 prescriptions since its launch two months ago, with telehealth partnerships accelerating uptake.    

The Danish company faces stiff competition from U.S. rival Eli Lilly, which has become the weight-loss drug market leader. To boost sales, Novo cut prices for its weight-loss drugs from about $1,000 per month to $149 to $299 on its websites.

Doustdar said lower pricing was a key part of the partnership, adding that "authentic products are now very similarly priced as the compounded ones".

Regulatory Warnings and Industry Reactions

The deal followed a warning last week from U.S. regulators to 30 telehealth companies over misleading promotions of compounded GLP-1 drugs. The FDA said some firms falsely equated compounded products with approved medications.

Hims CEO Andrew Dudum said the partnership with Novo followed his company's decision to shift its U.S. weight-loss business away from compounded GLP-1 drugs and toward branded, FDA-approved treatments, reflecting what he said was rising demand for a wider range of lower-cost options.

"That's where we see growth in the business," Dudum said in an interview.

Dudum, during a call to discuss financial results, said most subscribers accessing GLP-1s were using branded options.

Analyst Commentary

“While both parties lack trust, they remain bound by mutual necessity,” said Jailendra Singh, an analyst at Truist.

Lawsuit Withdrawal and Previous Agreements

In light of the agreement, Novo Nordisk said it was withdrawing the patent infringement lawsuit "while reserving the right to refile". 

Novo ended a similar agreement last year over concerns about compounded drug marketing and sales.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen and Maggie Fick in London; Additional reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru and Amina Niasse in New York; Editing by Mark Potter, Krishna Chandra Eluri and Bill Berkrot)