Diseases & conditions

Novo Nordisk Sues Hims & Hers Over Ozempic Copycat Drug

Is Hims & Hers selling dangerous knock-off drugs or is Big Pharma crushing affordable health care access?

Published FEB 11

Novo Nordisk Sues Hims & Hers Over Ozempic Copycat Drug

Story

Above: Wegovy semaglutide tablets with injectable prescription weight loss medicines, Ozempic and Wegovy. Image credit: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The Facts

Novo Nordisk filed a lawsuit on Monday against Hims & Hers Health, alleging that the U.S. telehealth company infringed its patents by selling compounded versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, used for diabetes and weight loss. Compounding is a legal process that allows U.S. drug manufacturers to produce and sell unapproved medications tailored to meet specific patient needs.
Financial Times
NDTV
Investors
BBC News
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the General Counsel referred Hims & Hers to the Department of Justice on Friday for potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, following concerns about the mass marketing of compounded GLP-1 drugs that have not been approved by the agency.
Axios
The Hill
Investors
Hims & Hers launched a compounded oral semaglutide product last week for $49 per month, approximately one-third of the cost of Novo Nordisk's branded Wegovy pill, but withdrew the product over the weekend after facing regulatory scrutiny and legal threats from Novo Nordisk.
CNBC
BBC News
Investors
Hims & Hers responded to the lawsuit by calling it "a blatant attack by a Danish company on millions of Americans who rely on compounded medications for access to personalized care."
Axios
NDTV
The Hill
Novo Nordisk is seeking a permanent ban on Hims & Hers from selling compounded semaglutide products and monetary damages, arguing that the company is mass-marketing unapproved drugs that evade FDA review and put patient safety at risk by potentially containing dangerous impurities.
CNBC
NDTV
The Wall Street Journal
Hims & Hers stock fell 16% on Monday following the lawsuit and regulatory actions, while Novo Nordisk shares rose 3.6%.
Axios
BBC News
Investors

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Hims & Hers is flooding the market with dangerous knock-off drugs that contain impurities up to 86%, risking anaphylactic shock and hospitalizations while deceiving patients about safety. These unapproved compounded products evade FDA review and threaten lives when authentic, fully-stocked FDA-approved medications are readily available nationwide. Legal action is essential to stop this mass marketing scheme that prioritizes profits over patient safety.

Novo Nordisk

Narrative B

A Danish pharmaceutical giant is weaponizing the courts to crush affordable health care access for millions of Americans who depend on compounded medications. This lawsuit attacks the entire practice of pharmacy compounding, a vital component of personalized care that has safely served patients for decades. Big Pharma wants to eliminate consumer choice and force Americans into overpriced options, undermining competition and threatening patient-centered care.

Hims & Hers Comms on X