Drug Manufacturer Alerts: Copycat GLP-1 Medications May Endanger Patient Safety
Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss the launch of the first GLP-1 weight-loss pill in the U.S., the lawsuit against Hims & Hers, and talks with the Trump administration on drug pricing.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are currently at the center of a contentious legal battle, with leading pharmaceutical companies warning that copycat versions could jeopardize patient safety.
“When you go and try to source raw materials from China or unknown sources, put it in an injection, and sell knockoff medication, there is something wrong with this,” stated Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, during an interview with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo.
Novo, renowned for its successful diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy, has initiated a lawsuit against Hims & Hers Health. The lawsuit accuses the telehealth company of marketing compounded, unapproved versions of its semaglutide-based medications, including a copycat of its newly launched daily pill.
Doustdar emphasized that the introduction of an oral option expands access for patients who may be hesitant to use injections. However, he criticized what he described as rampant “mass compounding” of GLP-1 drugs by telehealth firms.
DANGEROUS ‘GRAY-MARKET’ WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS FLOODING US AS EXPERTS WARN OF RISKS
A woman injects a GLP-1 injection into her stomach in this undated photo taken at an undisclosed location. (iStock)
“Compounding is supposed to be for a few individuals that have, let’s say, allergic reactions to the real medicine,” Doustdar explained. “But this mass compounding — it’s quite unbelievable that it has gotten to this point.”
He noted that Novo has filed multiple lawsuits against compounders, asserting that the launch of a compounded pill version crossed a significant line. “I think the nail in the coffin, as they say, was when they completely made a new drug — the pill — a compounded version of it and basically tried to introduce that to the market,” he said. “That’s where we felt enough is enough.”
TARGET BEEFS UP PROTEIN, SUPPLEMENT OFFERINGS, CAPITALIZING ON WEIGHT LOSS DRUG TREND
A pharmacist displays a box of Wegovy pills at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah on Thursday, Jan. 15. (George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In response, Hims & Hers issued a statement condemning Novo Nordisk’s lawsuit as “a blatant attack by a Danish company on millions of Americans who rely on compounded medications for access to personalized care.” They accused “Big Pharma” of “weaponizing the U.S. judicial system to limit consumer choice.”
“This lawsuit attacks more than just one medication or company – it directly assaults a well-established, vital component of U.S. pharmacy practice that has improved patient care for everything from obesity to infertility to cancer,” a representative for Hims & Hers stated, according to NJBIZ.
The company also highlighted its commitment to providing “safe access to personalized healthcare to millions of Americans,” asserting that it will “continue to fight to provide choice, affordability, and access.”
AIRLINES HAVE 580 MILLION REASONS TO LIKE GLP-1 WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS, ANALYSIS FINDS
The New York Stock Exchange with a Hims & Hers Health, Inc. banner is pictured as a person runs past in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York on Jan. 21, 2021 (Carlo Allegri / Reuters)
Patients seeking GLP-1 therapy for conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome have often turned to compounded alternatives due to insurance obstacles that create financial challenges for brand-name medications.
Doustdar mentioned that Novo’s recent cost reductions have diminished the necessity for copycat drugs, citing pricing similarities between branded and compounded versions.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to break down the new FDA-approved weight loss pill, concerns over cost and safety, and how GLP-1 drugs could transform obesity care.
However, when Hims & Hers briefly launched its compounded oral semaglutide, it was marketed at approximately $49 per month as an introductory price, later rising to around $99 per month. This was significantly lower than Novo’s FDA-approved oral Wegovy, which debuted at about $149 per month and can reach up to $299 at higher doses under self-pay pricing.
Following legal threats from Novo and scrutiny from federal regulators, Hims & Hers eventually withdrew the oral compounded medication from its platform.
Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss the launch of the first GLP-1 weight-loss pill in the U.S., the lawsuit against Hims & Hers, and talks with the Trump administration on drug pricing.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are currently at the center of a contentious legal battle, with leading pharmaceutical companies warning that copycat versions could jeopardize patient safety.
“When you go and try to source raw materials from China or unknown sources, put it in an injection, and sell knockoff medication, there is something wrong with this,” stated Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, during an interview with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo.
Novo, renowned for its successful diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy, has initiated a lawsuit against Hims & Hers Health. The lawsuit accuses the telehealth company of marketing compounded, unapproved versions of its semaglutide-based medications, including a copycat of its newly launched daily pill.
Doustdar emphasized that the introduction of an oral option expands access for patients who may be hesitant to use injections. However, he criticized what he described as rampant “mass compounding” of GLP-1 drugs by telehealth firms.
DANGEROUS ‘GRAY-MARKET’ WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS FLOODING US AS EXPERTS WARN OF RISKS
A woman injects a GLP-1 injection into her stomach in this undated photo taken at an undisclosed location. (iStock)
“Compounding is supposed to be for a few individuals that have, let’s say, allergic reactions to the real medicine,” Doustdar explained. “But this mass compounding — it’s quite unbelievable that it has gotten to this point.”
He noted that Novo has filed multiple lawsuits against compounders, asserting that the launch of a compounded pill version crossed a significant line. “I think the nail in the coffin, as they say, was when they completely made a new drug — the pill — a compounded version of it and basically tried to introduce that to the market,” he said. “That’s where we felt enough is enough.”
TARGET BEEFS UP PROTEIN, SUPPLEMENT OFFERINGS, CAPITALIZING ON WEIGHT LOSS DRUG TREND
A pharmacist displays a box of Wegovy pills at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah on Thursday, Jan. 15. (George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In response, Hims & Hers issued a statement condemning Novo Nordisk’s lawsuit as “a blatant attack by a Danish company on millions of Americans who rely on compounded medications for access to personalized care.” They accused “Big Pharma” of “weaponizing the U.S. judicial system to limit consumer choice.”
“This lawsuit attacks more than just one medication or company – it directly assaults a well-established, vital component of U.S. pharmacy practice that has improved patient care for everything from obesity to infertility to cancer,” a representative for Hims & Hers stated, according to NJBIZ.
The company also highlighted its commitment to providing “safe access to personalized healthcare to millions of Americans,” asserting that it will “continue to fight to provide choice, affordability, and access.”
AIRLINES HAVE 580 MILLION REASONS TO LIKE GLP-1 WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS, ANALYSIS FINDS
The New York Stock Exchange with a Hims & Hers Health, Inc. banner is pictured as a person runs past in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York on Jan. 21, 2021 (Carlo Allegri / Reuters)
Patients seeking GLP-1 therapy for conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome have often turned to compounded alternatives due to insurance obstacles that create financial challenges for brand-name medications.
Doustdar mentioned that Novo’s recent cost reductions have diminished the necessity for copycat drugs, citing pricing similarities between branded and compounded versions.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to break down the new FDA-approved weight loss pill, concerns over cost and safety, and how GLP-1 drugs could transform obesity care.
However, when Hims & Hers briefly launched its compounded oral semaglutide, it was marketed at approximately $49 per month as an introductory price, later rising to around $99 per month. This was significantly lower than Novo’s FDA-approved oral Wegovy, which debuted at about $149 per month and can reach up to $299 at higher doses under self-pay pricing.
Following legal threats from Novo and scrutiny from federal regulators, Hims & Hers eventually withdrew the oral compounded medication from its platform.
