The weight loss drug shortage is driving patients to Hims. What happens when the shortage ends?
Aug. 29, 2024
Hims & Hers, one of the largest publicly traded telehealth companies in the country, has supercharged its business in the last several months by offering compounded versions of the patented weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s. It’s staking its future on the drugs, with plans to continue selling compounded GLP-1s even when shortages of the versions approved by regulators come to an end — a strategy that policy experts say could land the company in court.
Broadly speaking, compounders are allowed to sell versions of FDA-approved drugs when those drugs are in shortage. That has regularly been the case lately with GLP-1 drugs marketed by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
advertisement
Hims, as the company is often referred to, has become one of the most prominent public faces of compounded semaglutide, offering it in more than 30 states and spending nearly $145 million in a single quarter on marketing its drugs, which include injections with “the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy” alongside other weight loss offerings that have attracted tens of thousands of customers.
STAT+ Exclusive Story
Already have an account? Log in
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+.
Already have an account? Log in
Monthly
$39
Totals $468 per year
$39/month Get StartedTotals $468 per year
Starter
$20
for 3 months, then $399/year
$20 for 3 months Get StartedThen $399/year
Annual
$399
Save 15%
$399/year Get StartedSave 15%
11+ Users
Custom
Savings start at 25%!
Request A Quote Request A QuoteSavings start at 25%!
2-10 Users
$300
Annually per user
$300/year Get Started$300 Annually per user
View All Plans
To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.
Subscribe Log In biotechnology, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, STAT+, Telehealth, weight loss Submit a correction requestReprints
Newsletter
Tech is transforming health care and life sciences. Our original reporting is here to keep you ahead of the curve.
