Novo Nordisk has issued a statement denouncing the online telehealth company Hims & Hers Health for selling lower-priced compounded copies of the Wegovy pill, saying it will take legal action. 

Reacting to the Hims & Hers February 5 announcement of an introductory $49/month price for compounded semaglutide, the Danish drugmaker wrote, “The action by Hims & Hers is illegal mass compounding that poses a significant risk to patient safety. Novo Nordisk will take legal and regulatory action to protect patients, our intellectual property and the integrity of the US gold-standard drug approval framework.”

Novo Nordisk pointed to the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Standards of Care, which specifically discourage the use of compounded GLP-1 drugs due to “safety, quality, and effectiveness concerns.” 

Moreover, it said, the US FDA has previously warned Hims & Hers about deceptive advertising of GLP-1 knockoffs.

Also on February 4, FDA issued “Concerns”  with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss” calling them potentially “risky” for patients. 

“Only Novo Nordisk manufactures an FDA-approved Wegovy pill formulated with [sodium N-(8-[2-hydroxybenzoyl]amino)caprylate] technology, which facilitates semaglutide absorption when administered orally. The Wegovy pill is available in all doses, in full supply, nationwide in the US. Compounded semaglutide is not approved by the FDA and may contain impurities, unnecessary additives, and untested doses,” Novo Nordisk said.

Hims & Hers sent Medscape Medical News the following statement: “Our track record speaks for itself and is why we’ve been able to help 2.5 M customers access care personalized to their needs. We’re focused on bringing more access, more positive outcomes, and more choice to customers everywhere. That’s as true today as it was at our founding.”

The company added, “This is not the first time — nor will it be the last time — a big pharma company has suggested taking an accessible, customer-first approach to healthcare is dangerous, illegal, or bad for the marketplace. This narrative is as predictable as it is outdated and false.”

In contrast, according to Novo Nordisk, “This is another example of Hims & Hers' historic behaviour of duping the American public with knock-off GLP-1 products.” 

Miriam E. Tucker is a freelance journalist based in the Washington, DC, area. She is a regular contributor to Medscape, with other work appearing in The Washington Post, NPR’s Shots blog, and diaTribe. She is on X (formerly Twitter) @MiriamETucker and BlueSky @miriametucker.bsky.social