Just a couple of months after launching a partnership with direct-to-consumer telehealth company Hims & Hers, Novo Nordisk is terminating the collaboration, the company announced on Monday. The drug manufacturer is arguing that Hims & Hers isn’t following a law that prohibits mass sales of compounded GLP-1s and is using deceptive marketing tactics.
Through the partnership, consumers had access to NovoCare Pharmacy, Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer delivery option, directly through the Hims & Hers platform. For $599 a month, they could be prescribed Wegovy and receive a Hims & Hers membership, which includes 24/7 care, clinical support and nutrition guidance.
The partnership came shortly after a clash between the companies over Hims & Hers’ Super Bowl ad, which featured the company’s compounded GLP-1s. These are custom-made by compounding pharmacies and include the same active ingredient found in branded GLP-1s like Wegovy (semaglutide) and are cheaper than branded versions. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and can only be prescribed when there is a shortage of an FDA-approved drug, or if a patient cannot be treated with an FDA-approved medication.
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While there had been a shortage of semaglutide injectables at the time of the Super Bowl ad, the FDA has since stated that the shortage has been resolved, restricting companies from providing compounded versions. But this hasn’t stopped the prescribing of them entirely. Following the February announcement that the shortage has ended, Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum said on X that the company “will continue to offer access to personalized treatments as allowed by law to meet patient needs.”
Now, Novo Nordisk is arguing that 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 puts patient safety at risk,” said Jamie Bennett, director of media relations at the company, in an email.
Bennett added that this is “unacceptable” and is the company’s reasoning for ending its collaboration with Hims & Hers.
In response, Dudum said on X that the company is “disappointed to see Novo Nordisk management misleading the public.”
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“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,” he added. “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 the company will continue to offer access to Wegovy. In a LinkedIn post, Hims & Hers also stated that it has a “robust safety and quality framework,” including using pharmaceutical-grade ingredients, undergoing comprehensive testing and using clear communication so that customers are informed about the potential side effects.
It’s important to note that Novo Nordisk has similar partnerships with other telehealth companies, including Ro and LifeMD. While it is terminating its partnership with Hims & Hers, it is continuing its other collaborations.
“Semaglutide compounding is permitted under U.S. compounding laws only in rare instances and we feel the companies that we are working with have demonstrated a good faith effort to transition patients to authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy,” Bennett said. “We are pleased to see other telehealth companies taking clear moves away from mass promoting and selling compounded semaglutide drugs — as these drugs have never been approved by FDA as safe and effective and pose significant safety risks to patients.”
According to one obesity medicine physician, compounded GLP-1s are extremely unsafe. There have been over a dozen deaths associated with compounded GLP-1s, more severe side effects and more ER admissions, said Dr. Disha Narang, an endocrinologist and director of obesity medicine at Endeavor Health.
She added that there’s a perception that the drug is cheaper when going through a telehealth company like Hims & Hers. And that’s not the case, she argued.
“Whether it’s going through Hims & Hers, or whether it’s going through a prescription in our clinic, if it is going through the NovoCare Pharmacy, it’s $500 for everybody, no matter what. So there’s not a cheaper route,” Narang said. “And more often than not, most patients, if they have been using compounded [drugs], whether it’s through a med spa or Hims & Hers or whatever, the cost is not that different, especially when it’s more worthwhile to get the branded version given the risks and dangers of it.”
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