Hims sued by Novo Nordisk after $49 weight-loss pill sparks FDA backlash
Hims sued by Novo Nordisk after $49 weight-loss pill sparks FDA backlash
The lawsuit, covering Novo’s weight-loss drug in pill and injectable form, underlines the friction between anti-obesity drugmakers and companies selling copies based on the same active ingredients, harming the earnings of the original drug manufacturers
Hims and Hers Health has been sued by Novo Nordisk over patent infringement after the U.S. telehealth firm first launched and then cancelled a $49 copy of Novo's weight-loss pill Wegovy after a swift backlash from U.S. authorities.
While Novo’s shares rose 5%, Hims’ shares sank 20%.
The lawsuit, covering Novo’s weight-loss drug in pill and injectable form, underlines the friction between anti-obesity drugmakers and companies selling copies based on the same active ingredients, harming the earnings of the original drug manufacturers.
Novo Nordisk’s general counsel, John Kuckelman, reportedly said, "There is now a growing chorus of parties that have said, 'Enough is enough on the compounding situation in the United States.” He added that Hims' pill launch was the "tipping point." Hims reportedly said that the lawsuit was a “blatant attack” by Novo on “millions of Americans who rely on compounded medications for access to personalized care". The suit reportedly said, "Once again, Big Pharma is weaponizing the U.S. judicial system to limit consumer choice.”
According to analysts, the suit and the unusually prompt U.S. Food and Drug Administration response could mark a broader crackdown on compounded GLP-1s, potentially easing competition on the big manufacturers' patented weight-loss treatments. Sydbank analyst Soren Lontoft Hansen reportedly said, "They are not only declaring war on Hims & Hers' Wegovy pill, but GLP-1 (compounders) in general.”
Whereas Novo reportedly said it was "asking the court to permanently ban Hims from selling unapproved, compounded drugs that infringe our patents, and is seeking to recover damages”.
Rival versions were allowed to enter the market when Novo’s and Lilly’s drugs were in shortage by US regulations. They then remained on the market after the shortages ended as the compounding industry leaned on U.S. law allowing them to mix and sell ingredients in medicines that are personalized such as in different doses than the branded version.
