Novo Nordisk, the maker of the weight loss drug Wegovy, is suing Hims & Hers for selling a cheaper version of the drug, the company announced Monday. File Photo by Ida Marie Odgaard/EPA-EFE
Novo Nordisk, the maker of the weight loss drug Wegovy, is suing Hims & Hers for selling a cheaper version of the drug, the company announced Monday.
Novo Nordisk claims that Hims & Hers, a telehealth provider, is selling a drug that violates its patent on the semaglutide drug Wegovy. The company is seeking damages and a ban on the so-called copycat.
“The fact is that their medicines are untested and they’re putting patients at risk,” said John Kuckelman, general counsel for Novo Nordisk.
Hims & Hers version of the weight loss drug was planned to sell for about $49 for the first month of use, about $100 less than Wegovy.
Last month, Novo Nordisk announced it was breaking off a partnership with Hims & Hers over plans to sell the cheaper drug.
The Food and Drug Administration warned Hims & Hers that it would take action before the company announced on Saturday that it is pulling the drug.
In a statement, Hims & Hers said the lawsuit is “a blatant attack by a Danish company on millions of Americans who rely on compounded medications for access to personalized care.”
Compounded medications are customized versions of drugs that are adjusted based on patient needs. These drugs are not approved by the FDA but patients may require them due to allergies or intolerances to certain approved medications.
The FDA allows pharmaceutical companies to sell compounds under certain circumstances, such as when there is a supply shortage. Semaglutides were under a shortage declaration by the FDA but it ended in February 2025. The administration set April and May 2025 deadlines for compounding pharmacies to stop selling copycat semaglutides.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice Headquarters on Friday. Justice Department officials have announced that the FBI has arrested Zubayr al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
