Simply a few months after launching a partnership with direct-to-consumer telehealth firm Hims & Hers, Novo Nordisk is terminating the collaboration, the corporate introduced on Monday. The drug producer is arguing that Hims & Hers isn’t following a regulation that prohibits mass gross sales of compounded GLP-1s and is utilizing misleading advertising techniques.
By means of the partnershipcustomers had entry to NovoCare Pharmacy, Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer supply possibility, straight via the Hims & Hers platform. For $599 a month, they could possibly be prescribed Wegovy and obtain a Hims & Hers membership, which incorporates 24/7 care, scientific help and diet steering.
The partnership got here shortly after a conflict between the businesses over Hims & Hers’ Tremendous Bowl advert, which featured the corporate’s compounded GLP-1s. These are custom-made by compounding pharmacies and embrace the identical lively ingredient present in branded GLP-1s like Wegovy (semaglutide) and are cheaper than branded variations. Compounded medicine are not FDA-approved and might solely be prescribed when there’s a scarcity of an FDA-approved drug, or if a affected person can’t be handled with an FDA-approved treatment.
Whereas there had been a scarcity of semaglutide injectables on the time of the Tremendous Bowl advert, the FDA has since said that the scarcity has been resolvedproscribing corporations from offering compounded variations. However this hasn’t stopped the prescribing of them solely. Following the February announcement that the scarcity has ended, Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum stated on X that the corporate “will proceed to supply entry to personalised therapies as allowed by regulation to satisfy affected person wants.”
Now, Novo Nordisk is arguing that Hims & Hers “has failed to stick to the regulation which prohibits mass gross sales of compounded medicine beneath the false guise of ‘personalization’ and are disseminating misleading advertising that places affected person security in danger,” stated Jamie Bennett, director of media relations on the firm, in an e mail.
Bennett added that that is “unacceptable” and is the corporate’s reasoning for ending its collaboration with Hims & Hers.
In response to an extended stated on X that the corporate is “upset to see Novo Nordisk administration deceptive the general public.”
“In latest weeks, Novo Nordisk’s industrial workforce more and more pressured us to regulate scientific requirements and steer sufferers to Wegovy no matter whether or not it was clinically greatest for sufferers,” he added. “We refuse to be strong-armed by any pharmaceutical firm’s anticompetitive calls for that infringe on the unbiased choice making of suppliers and restrict affected person alternative.”
Dudum stated the corporate will proceed to supply entry to Wegovy. In a LinkedIn publishHims & Hers additionally said that it has a “sturdy security and high quality framework,” together with utilizing pharmaceutical-grade substances, present process complete testing and utilizing clear communication in order that clients are knowledgeable concerning the potential unwanted effects.
It’s vital to notice that Novo Nordisk has comparable partnerships with different telehealth corporations, together with Ro and LifeMD. Whereas it’s terminating its partnership with Hims & Hers, it’s persevering with its different collaborations.
“Semaglutide compounding is permitted beneath U.S. compounding legal guidelines solely in uncommon cases and we really feel the businesses that we’re working with have demonstrated religion effort to transition sufferers to genuine, FDA-approved Wegovy,” Bennett stated. “We’re happy to see different telehealth corporations taking clear strikes away from mass selling and promoting compounded semaglutide medicine—as these medicine have by no means been accepted by FDA as secure and efficient and pose vital security dangers to sufferers.”
In line with one weight problems drugs doctor, compounded GLP-1s are extraordinarily unsafe. There have been over a dozen deaths related to compounded GLP-1s, extra extreme unwanted effects and extra ER admissions, stated Dr. Disha Narang, an endocrinologist and director of weight problems drugs at Endeavor Well being.
She added that there’s a notion that the drug is cheaper when going via a telehealth firm like Hims & Hers. And that’s not the case, she argued.
“Whether or not it’s going via Hims & Hers, or whether or not it’s going via a prescription in our clinic, whether it is going via the NovoCare Pharmacy, it’s $500 for everyone, it doesn’t matter what. So there’s not a less expensive route,” Narang stated. “And as a rule, most sufferers, if they’ve been utilizing compounded (medicine), whether or not it’s via a med spa or Hims & Hers or no matter, the associated fee isn’t that totally different, particularly when it’s extra worthwhile to get the branded model given the dangers and risks of it.”
Photograph by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Common Photos Group through Getty Photos
