Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO  ) on Monday said it has filed a lawsuit against telehealth company Hims & Hers Inc. (HIMS  ) for infringing U.S. Patent 8,129,343 with Hims' compounded semaglutide products for the U.S. market. Novo Nordisk stock also gained momentum as it initiated the previously announced share repurchase program as part of the overall share repurchase program of up to 15 billion Danish kroner to be executed during 12 months beginning 4 February 2026.

Novo Nordisk's Legal Move Explained

Novo Nordisk, in its press release, said Hims & Hers engaged in promotional campaigns that highlight its compounded semaglutide products, duping consumers and healthcare professionals as to the clinical benefits and safety of these unapproved drugs.

This includes Hims' recent launch, and two days later, the abrupt discontinuance of its "Compounded GLP-1 Pill," which came on the heels of Novo Nordisk's introduction of the Wegovy pill, the first and only FDA-approved GLP-1 pill for weight loss.

Hims continues to unlawfully mass compound injectable versions, made with inauthentic API, and these knock-offs are putting patient health and well-being at risk, Novo claims.

"Hims & Hers is mass marketing unapproved knock-off versions of Wegovy and Ozempic that evade the FDA's gold standard review process - that's dangerous and deceptive to patients...", said John Kuckelman, SVP, Group General Counsel, Global Legal, IP and Security. "We've taken legal action to protect the American public and our intellectual property..."

Mass marketing by Hims and compounding pharmacies has flooded the market with knock-off Wegovy and Ozempic. Compounded semaglutide products may contain dangerous impurities or incorrect amounts of active ingredients, which can result in life-threatening immune responses, hospitalization, severe drug-drug interactions, and overdoses.

Impurity Levels In Compounded Drugs

According to Novo Nordisk's testing, injectable semaglutide drugs compounded by pharmacies were found to contain impurities of up to 86%, with compounded oral semaglutide drugs containing impurities as high as 75%.

Even in small quantities, such impurities can negatively impact the safety and efficacy of a drug product, including unwanted immune responses like anaphylactic shock.

As the FDA explained just last Friday, compounded GLP-1 drugs mass-marketed by Hims and other compounding pharmacies are "drugs for which the FDA cannot verify quality, safety, or efficacy."

Price Action: NVO stock is up 6.84% at $50.90, and HIMS stock is down 26.93% at $16.83 at the last check on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro.