Novo Nordisk has ended its partnership with Hims & Hers, citing concerns over the telehealth company’s promotion and sale of the drugmaker’s compounded versions of Wegovy.
The drugmaker alleged that Hims & Hers marketed unauthorized versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, under the claim of personal care, according to a June 23 news release from Novo Nordisk. The drugmaker said the practice violates federal law and misleads patients.
“Novo Nordisk is firm on our position and protecting patients living with obesity,” Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. operations for Novo Nordisk, said in the release. “When patients are prescribed semaglutide treatments by their licensed healthcare professional or a telehealth provider, they are entitled to receive authentic, FDA-approved and regulated Wegovy.”
The partnership began after the FDA declared in February that Wegovy was no longer in short supply. Novo Nordisk then allowed certain telehealth providers, including Hims & Hers, to access the FDA-approved version of the drug through its NovoCare Pharmacy. Humana’s CenterWell was selected to manage prescription fulfillment and home delivery.
In a June 23 post on X, Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum said, “We are disappointed to see Novo Nordisk management misleading the public. 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. 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. … We will continue to offer access to a range of treatments, including Wegovy, to ensure providers can serve the individual needs of patients.”
