Novo Nordisk, Hims & Hers pivot from courtroom to commerce

Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has dropped its patent infringement lawsuit against telehealth provider Hims & Hers and has partnered with it to sell its weight loss drugs, such as Wegovy.

The agreement will see authentic, branded versions of Wegovy and Ozempic injectables and pills sold directly through the Hims platform starting late March.

Conflict erupted between the two parties last month, when Hims announced plans to launch a $49 version of Novo’s Wegovy pill, using the same active ingredient, semaglutide.

The Danish pharma responded with a lawsuit, labeling the product an unapproved knockoff. The FDA also threatened to restrict access to ingredients and refer Hims to the DOJ, prompting the company to drop the idea.

Under the new deal, Hims will cease all advertising for compounded weight loss medications and instead focus on distributing Novo’s oral and injectable treatments.

Novo could reach a wider American market with Hims. It faces heavy competition from US-based Eli Lilly, which makes the weight loss drug Zepbound and has a deal to sell it via telehealth Ro.

Shares of Hims & Hers surged over 36% following the announcement. Novo’s stock rose 1.8%.