Direct-to-consumer telehealth company Hims & Hers is partnering with glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist manufacturer Novo Nordisk, the companies said on Tuesday.
Through the agreement, consumers can access Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare Pharmacy direct-to-patient offering for its weight-loss drug Wegovy directly through Hims & Hers' platform. The companies, which have at times had an adversarial relationship, also said they would develop a roadmap to continue their work together.
Related: Inside Eli Lilly’s digital health strategy for GLP-1s
Novo Nordisk also said Tuesday it would partner with telehealth companies Ro and LifeMD for a similar service. Novo will sell Wegovy at a reduced cost of $499 per month for self-paying patients, but those receiving medicine through the companies have to pay additional subscription costs. For example, Hims and Hers said its members can access Novo’s service and Wegovy without insurance for $599 per month.
In February, the Food and Drug Administration ended the shortage of semaglutide, a key ingredient in some drugs including Wegovy. The move pushed Hims and other telehealth companies that primarily rely on creating compounded versions of the drugs to adjust their business models. The FDA authorizes companies to offer compounded versions of GLP-1s and other drugs only in specific situations like a shortage.
In the last month, Hims has tried to tie itself closer to pharmaceutical companies that produce branded medications. Along with its partnership with Novo, the company posted a blog on April 1 that said it was expanding access to Zepbound, a branded GLP-1 drug from Eli Lilly. Hours later, Eli Lilly said in a statement it had no affiliation with the telehealth company.
Still, Hims continues to advertise compounded on its website even as Novo Nordisk warns users of risks associated with compounded copycats.
In February, Hims and Novo Nordisk had a public spat after the telehealth company ran a Super Bowl ad touting its affordable compounded weight-loss medications. Novo responded with an advertisement in the New York Times and USA Today calling out compounded medications. In its February earnings call, Hims CEO Andrew Dudum pushed back on major pharmaceutical companies and said they were inciting fear over compounded medications.
Hims' stock traded at $34.91 per share on Tuesday morning, up 22% from its Monday closing price.
