Hims & Hers Health and Novo Nordisk resolve legal dispute regarding weight loss drugs, begin partnership

Novo Nordisk and Hims & Hers Reach Agreement on Weight Loss Medications

Novo Nordisk has decided to withdraw its patent infringement case against telehealth provider Hims & Hers after the two companies struck a deal. Under this new arrangement, Novo Nordisk’s branded weight loss treatments will soon be available through the Hims platform.

Following the announcement, shares of Hims & Hers Health Inc. soared by over 40% during Monday morning trading.

Last month, Hims & Hers revealed plans to introduce a more affordable, generic alternative to the weight-loss pill Wegovy. This announcement came shortly after Novo Nordisk released a new version of its popular medication. At that time, Novo Nordisk responded by threatening legal action, labeling the generic product as an “unauthorized and untested imitation” of semaglutide, Wegovy’s active ingredient.

However, within two days, Hims reversed its decision to launch the generic Wegovy. This change occurred after the Food and Drug Administration warned it might limit access to the ingredients used to replicate widely used weight-loss drugs.

The FDA allows specialty pharmacies and certain businesses to produce compounded versions of brand-name medications when there are shortages. The surging demand for GLP-1 drugs in recent years has attracted companies like Hims to this lucrative market, with many patients opting to pay out of pocket.

In 2024, the FDA declared that GLP-1 drugs were no longer in short supply, which was expected to halt compounding practices. Nevertheless, businesses such as Hims continued offering their versions by utilizing an exception that permits compounding when prescriptions are tailored to individual patients.

According to the terms of the new agreement announced Monday, Hims will begin providing both oral and injectable forms of Wegovy and Ozempic on its platform later this month. Additionally, Hims will discontinue the promotion of compounded GLP-1 medications on its website and in its advertising.

Novo Nordisk stated that it maintains the option to pursue legal action again in the future if necessary.