Novo Nordisk Ends Collaboration with Hims & Hers Over Concerns About Compounded Wegovy® Products
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
Novo Nordisk has formally ended its relationship with Hims & Hers Health Inc. after alleging that the telehealth provider promoted and sold compounded versions of Wegovy® in ways the company says pose risks to patient safety. The decision, announced June 23, 2025, means Hims & Hers will no longer have access to Wegovy® through Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare® Pharmacy platform.
The move follows a broader effort by Novo Nordisk to transition patients from compounded versions of semaglutide, commonly marketed as Wegovy®, to the FDA-approved product as supply shortages ease. The company began working with select telehealth providers in April to facilitate this transition following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s announcement that the shortage of Wegovy® had been resolved.
In a statement, Novo Nordisk claimed that Hims & Hers did not comply with legal standards related to compounding practices. Specifically, the company said Hims & Hers promoted mass-produced compounded semaglutide formulations under what Novo Nordisk described as the false guise of personalization.
"Novo Nordisk is firm on our position and protecting patients living with obesity. 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®," said Dave Moore, Executive Vice President, US Operations of Novo Nordisk Inc. "We will work with telehealth companies to provide direct access to Wegovy® that share our commitment to patient safety, and when companies engage in illegal sham compounding that jeopardizes the health of Americans, we will continue to take action."
Hims & Hers has not publicly responded to the termination at the time of publication.
Compounded drugs are legally permitted under certain conditions, typically when FDA-approved alternatives are unavailable. However, mass production of compounded drugs is not allowed under U.S. law, and the FDA has previously issued warnings about safety risks associated with some compounded semaglutide formulations, particularly those containing salt-based variants not used in the FDA-approved product.
Novo Nordisk’s statement also referenced a Brookings Institute report that raised concerns about the sources of semaglutide used in some compounded drugs. The report stated that many Chinese suppliers of semaglutide active pharmaceutical ingredients have not been inspected by the FDA, and that among those who had been, some were cited for drug quality violations. According to the report, "FDA has never authorized or approved the manufacturing processes used by any of these foreign suppliers to make semaglutide, nor has FDA ever reviewed or authorized the quality of the 'semaglutide' they produce."
Novo Nordisk has indicated it will continue collaborating with telehealth companies that commit to distributing FDA-approved Wegovy® through its NovoCare® platform. The company maintains that it will take further action as needed to safeguard patients from unauthorized or unregulated versions of its medications.
This development comes as the market for GLP-1 agonists, such as Wegovy®, continues to expand rapidly, with demand driven by increased attention to obesity management and chronic disease care. As more fitness and wellness businesses explore partnerships and product offerings in the clinical weight management space, regulatory scrutiny and supply chain transparency are likely to remain key factors.
Credit: Novo Nordisk