Hims drops hard sell on compounded GLP‑1s as branded Wegovy and Ozempic go online at lower prices
Novo Nordisk’s truce with Hims & Hers could pull more patients toward branded GLP‑1 drugs at prices much closer to compounded copycats – and away from a legal grey zone that has worried regulators.
According to Reuters, Novo Nordisk will allow Hims & Hers to sell FDA‑approved Ozempic and Wegovy injectables, plus the new Wegovy pill, to US consumers on its platform at Novo’s self‑pay prices.
CNBC reported that Hims & Hers will offer injectable and oral semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, at the same price as other telehealth platforms.
At the same time, Hims & Hers will stop advertising compounded GLP‑1 drugs.
Pharmaceutical Technology said the company will limit compounded semaglutide to cases needing personalised dosing and that existing patients “will have the opportunity to transition to FDA-approved medicines when determined clinically appropriate by their providers,” according to a Hims & Hers statement cited by CNBC.
This marks a sharp turn from a legal fight that had centred on low‑cost copies.
Reuters reported that Novo Nordisk sued Hims in February over compounded versions of the Wegovy pill and compounded injectable GLP‑1s.
CNBC said Novo had accused Hims & Hers of “mass illegal compounding” after the telehealth company announced a copycat Wegovy pill for US$49, roughly US$100 less than Novo’s price through its NovoCare platform.
Hims & Hers quickly withdrew the pill after pushback from Novo and the US Food and Drug Administration.
Regulators helped force the reset.
CNBC reported that the FDA pledged to take “decisive steps” against companies mass‑marketing illegal copycat drugs, including Hims & Hers, and referred the firm to the Department of Justice for potential violations of federal law.
Reuters said the FDA also warned 30 telehealth companies over misleading promotions that equated compounded GLP‑1 products with approved medicines.
FDA commissioner Marty Makary publicly endorsed the new arrangement.
He wrote on X that he was “glad to see HIMS” end advertising of unapproved compounded drugs, move to FDA-approved products with Novo Nordisk, keep prices unchanged and “limit compounded GLP-1s for rare (FDA compliant) cases,” and he congratulated both sides on the deal.
Pricing sits at the core of the shift from compounded to branded drugs.
Reuters said Novo Nordisk cut website prices for its weight‑loss medicines from about US$1,000 a month to between US$149 and US$299 to support sales.
Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar called lower pricing a key plank of the Hims partnership and said “authentic products are now very similarly priced as the compounded ones.”
Telehealth channels are already driving high volumes.
Reuters reported that Doustdar said the Wegovy pill had generated more than 600,000 prescriptions in roughly two months since launch, with telehealth partnerships accelerating uptake.
CNBC said Doustdar now counts more than 600,000 Wegovy pill “scripts” and told the network that early worries about food‑related restrictions limiting demand “has been absolutely not the case,” calling it “the most efficacious pill right now in the market.”
The agreement also closes, at least for now, a long‑running feud.
PharmaceuticalTechnology noted that Novo Nordisk and Hims & Hers tried to partner in April 2025 to offer discounted Wegovy via the Hims & Hers platform, but Novo cancelled the arrangement less than two months later, accusing Hims & Hers of failing to follow the law and continuing to sell compounded semaglutide.
According to CNBC, Doustdar said, “We have decided to drop the current court proceedings and, of course, we reserve to bring that back if need be, but I don’t foresee that happening.”
Reuters likewise reported that Novo Nordisk is withdrawing its patent lawsuit “while reserving the right to refile.”
PharmaceuticalTechnology cited Citi analysts as saying, “We see upside as limited given Hims & Hers sales of compounded GLP-1RA were limited and FDA was working to remove them from the market anyway.”
Reuters quoted Truist analyst Jailendra Singh as saying, “While both parties lack trust, they remain bound by mutual necessity.”
