Hims & Hers launches Wegovy knockoff pill, Novo Nordisk vows to sue
[February 06, 2026]
By MATTHEW PERRONE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Telehealth company Hims & Hers said Thursday it will
launch a cheaper, off-brand version of the weight-loss pill Wegovy, just
weeks after drugmaker Novo Nordisk launched its highly anticipated
reformulation of the blockbuster medication.
The announcement from Hims is the latest example of the company’s
efforts to capitalize on the booming popularity of GLP-1 drugs like
Wegovy, which have revolutionized weight loss treatment in the U.S.
For years, Hims has sold compounded versions of the weight-loss drugs,
which were initially only available as injections. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy
is the first of the medications to become available in a pill format.
The Danish drugmaker responded to the news Thursday by vowing to sue
Hims, calling the new product “an unapproved, inauthentic, and untested
knockoff” of semaglutide, the chemical name for Wegovy.
“Novo Nordisk will take legal and regulatory action to protect patients,
our intellectual property and the integrity of the U.S. gold-standard
drug approval framework,” the company said in a statement.
Despite previous threats and warnings from the Food and Drug
Administration, Hims has been able to keep its products on the market
due to their status as compounded medications, a class of drugs that are
customized and aren’t subject to strict federal regulations.
San Francisco-based Hims said it will launch its compounded pill at $49
for the first month, as part of an introductory offer for new customers,
followed by $99 per month. That’s well below Novo’s price of $149 per
month.
In September, the FDA issued a warning letter to Hims over “false and
misleading” marketing language which regulators said suggested its
compounded products were the same as FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs.
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This photo shows Novo Nordisk headquarters in Bagsvaerd, Denmark, on
Feb. 5, 2025. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)
 Thursday’s announcement from the
company states that its pill contains “the same active ingredient as
Wegovy,” but also mentions that is it not “approved or evaluated for
safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA.”
The FDA permits specialty pharmacies and other companies to make
compounded versions of brand name drugs when they are in short
supply. And the booming demand for GLP-1 drugs in recent years
prompted companies like Hims to jump into the multibillion-dollar
market for the drugs, with many patients willing to pay cash.
Beginning in 2024, FDA began announcing that GLP-1 drugs were no
longer in a shortage, a step that was expected to put an end to the
compounding. But there is an exception: The practice is still
permitted when a prescription is customized for the patient.
Hims and other companies say they offer “personalized” dosages and
formulations of GLP-1 drugs that benefit patients.
“Whether a patient needs a specific dosage adjustment or prefers a
compounded semaglutide pill over an injection, our platform now
supports a deeper level of personalization," said Dr. Craig Primack,
who heads weight-loss products at Hims, in a statement Thursday.
Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S fell more than 8% in afternoon Thursday.
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