Novo Nordisk Launches Legal War over Weight Loss Drug Wegovy

CNBC reports that Novo Nordisk announced Monday it is suing Hims & Hers Health, seeking a permanent injunction to stop the telehealth company from selling compounded versions of its weight loss drugs and demanding monetary damages for patent infringement. The lawsuit marks a major escalation in the battle between traditional pharmaceutical manufacturers and compounding pharmacies over access to popular obesity medications.

The Danish drugmaker wants the court to permanently bar Hims from marketing compounded medications containing semaglutide, the active ingredient in its blockbuster Wegovy and Ozempic products. Semaglutide remains under U.S. patent protection until 2032.

“This is a complete sham, and it has been a sham since the shortage ended,” said John Kuckelman, Novo’s group general counsel. “The fact is that their medicines are untested, and they’re putting patients at risk,” he added, noting that compounded drugs don’t undergo the same rigorous safety and quality verification required for FDA-approved pharmaceuticals.

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