Drugmaker Novo Nordisk said it is\u00a0halting its agreement with telehealth company Hims & Hers after less than two months, citing deceptive marketing and the selling of knock-off versions of its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The company in April announced it would be partnering with Hims & Hers as well as other telehealth companies to sell Wegovy at a reduced cost of $499. The telehealth companies sold cheaper compounded versions of semaglutide\u2014the active ingredient in Wegovy\u2014 while the Food and Drug Administration said the drug was in shortage. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The end of the collaboration means Hims will no longer be able to sell branded Wegovy drugs, and will no longer have\u00a0direct access to Wegovy through the company’s NovoCare Pharmacy arm.<\/p>\n
When FDA declared the shortage over, compounding pharmacies were legally restricted from making and selling compounded versions of the drug by May 22.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Novo Nordisk on Monday said Hims wasn\u2019t adhering to the law, accusing the company of continuing to sell compounded versions of its drug \u201cunder the false guise of personalization.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We will work with telehealth companies to provide direct access to Wegovy that share our commitment to patient safety \u2013 and when companies engage in illegal sham compounding that jeopardizes the health of Americans, we will continue to take action,\u201d Dave Moore, Novo Nordisk\u2019s executive vice president of U.S. operations, said in a statement. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Hims & Hers has invested heavily in compounded weight loss drugs, even advertising in a 60-second Super Bowl commercial, drawing some scrutiny and criticisms.\u00a0<\/p>\n