STORY: Shares of Novo Nordisk plunged again on Thursday after online telehealth firm Hims & Hers said it will offer a compounded version of Novo's new Wegovy weight-loss pill at about $100 less than the brand name price.
:: Hims & Hers handout
Novo said it would take legal action against Hims & Hers following that announcement.
Hims said it would offer a $49 one-month introductory price for the compounded weight-loss pill and that the price will rise to $99 a month for those who purchase a five-month plan and pay upfront. The price is higher for a three-month subscription.
:: Hims & Hers handout
The announcement came after Novo warned on Wednesday that pricing pressure was unprecedented for its weight-loss medicines and dropped its forecast, sending its shares down 17%.
Novo, like rival Eli Lilly, has been forced to cut prices in the U.S., its biggest market, under pressure from President Donald Trump.
It launched its Wegovy pill last month at a discount to the injection to lure customers who pay directly on its website.
:: Novo Nordisk
Novo and Hims had a partnership in 2025 allowing Hims to offer injectable Wegovy, but the two companies walked away with Novo saying Hims had wrongfully marketed copycats of Wegovy. Hims accused Novo of attempting to control how its clinicians make decisions.
Hims' compounded copy of the Wegovy pill is made from semaglutide, the same active ingredient as the one from Novo.
:: Hims & Hers handout
But the Food and Drug Administration in September issued a warning regarding its marketing of the drug, stating claims like "same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy" are misleading, as compounded drugs are not FDA-approved.
In a statement released Thursday, Novo Nordisk said, "The action by Hims & Hers is illegal mass compounding that poses a significant risk to patient safety," adding that it would take action to "protect patients, our intellectual property and the integrity of the U.S. gold-standard drug approval framework."
