Novo Nordisk has filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Hims & Hers Health Inc., alleging that the telehealth company is selling compounded copies of its weight-loss drug Wegovy and related semaglutide products without authorization.
The lawsuit, filed in Delaware on Monday, marks Novo’s first major U.S. patent action against a large telehealth company in the rapidly expanding GLP-1 market. Novo is seeking a permanent injunction to stop the sale of compounded semaglutide products and unspecified damages, according to the complaint, Reuters reported.
Novo alleges that Hims’ products infringe its patents on semaglutide formulations and that the company’s marketing has misled consumers into believing the compounded drugs are equivalent to branded therapies. As per another Reuters report, the complaint comes after Hims briefly launched a $49 compounded version of Wegovy and later abandoned the product following warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Hims & Hers has said the lawsuit is an attempt by “big pharma” to limit consumer access to lower-cost alternatives, and that its compounded drugs are tailored to patients’ needs. In a separate filing, the company said it believes the patents in question are invalid and that it will vigorously defend itself, a report by Investors Business Daily said.
Shares of Hims & Hers dropped sharply after the lawsuit was announced, while Novo Nordisk shares rose as investors viewed the legal move as a defense of its profitable obesity-drug franchise, according to Axios.
Legal experts told Reuters that the case underscores growing tension between branded drugmakers and compounding pharmacies and that patent litigation can deliver broader protections and larger damages than other claims.
