Piotr Swat | Light rocket | fake images
him and her on Saturday said it will pull its knock-off weight-loss pill from the market after sparking controversy and threats of legal action earlier this week.
“Since launching the compounded semaglutide pill on our platform, we have had constructive conversations with stakeholders across the industry,” the telehealth provider posted on social media. “As a result, we have decided to stop offering access to this treatment. We remain committed to the millions of Americans who depend on us for access to safe, affordable and personalized care.”
Hims & Hers had previously said it planned to create a cheaper, copycat version of the pharmaceutical giant. Nordisk Wegovy weight loss pill. That treatment, which includes Wegovy's active ingredient semaglutide, would launch for just $49 for the first month. The Novo pill sells for about $100 more.
Novo on Thursday threatened legal action against Hims for what it called “illegal mass compounding,” adding that the company planned to take legal and regulatory action.
“This is another example of Hims & Hers' historic behavior of misleading the American public with GLP-1 knockoff products, and the FDA has previously warned them about their misleading advertising of GLP-1 knockoffs,” Novo said in a statement at the time.
On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stepped in and announced it planned to take legal action against Hims & Hers over the pill, including restricting access to the ingredients and referring the company to the Department of Justice.
In response, Hims said Saturday that it “has always operated with a deep commitment to the safety and best interests of consumers and in compliance with applicable law.”
The move comes as the company plans to run an ad during Super Bowl 60 on Sunday. The ad features rapper Common expressing the message that “America's wealth gap has become a health gap.”
Hims previously said he hopes the announcement “ruffles some feathers.”
