Novo Nordisk has formally terminated its collaboration with telehealth provider Hims & Hers Health, Inc., ending direct access to Wegovy® via the NovoCare® Pharmacy platform.

According to Novo Nordisk, the decision follows more than a month of partnership during which Hims & Hers continued “mass sales of compounded drugs under the false guise of ‘personalization’,” and engaged in “deceptive marketing that put patient safety at risk.” Novo’s Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations, Dave Moore, emphasized, “When patients are prescribed semaglutide treatments … they are entitled to receive authentic, FDA‑approved and regulated Wegovy®.”

Novo Nordisk also expressed concerns about the sourcing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in unauthorized semaglutide formulations. Their internal investigation revealed that these APIs are often supplied by unlicensed manufacturers abroad—particularly in China—many of which have not been inspected or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Hims & Hers Pushes Back

Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum has publicly pushed back against Novo Nordisk’s statements, calling the move anti-competitive and asserting that the company “refuses to be strong‑armed into directing patients solely to Wegovy,” while reaffirming their commitment to a broader range of weight-loss options.

Canadian Context: Compounding and Regulatory Oversight

While this regulatory dispute is centered in the U.S., it raises relevant issues for the Canadian market. In Canada:

• Health Canada does not permit the mass production or sale of compounded drugs unless done on a per-prescription basis by a licensed pharmacy for an individual patient.
• Compounded semaglutide products are not approved by Health Canada and may not meet the safety, efficacy, or manufacturing standards required of authorized drugs.
• Canadian healthcare professionals and telehealth services are expected to comply with stringent rules on advertising, sourcing, and off-label claims, particularly in areas such as weight-loss and chronic disease management.

This means that Canadian fitness professionals referring clients to compounded or telehealth-based semaglutide options should ensure these services are compliant with Canadian pharmaceutical regulations, not just U.S. practices.

Implications for Fitness Professionals and Clinics

• Telehealth + pharma partnerships are under growing scrutiny — regulatory compliance will be increasingly important when offering guidance around prescription-based weight-loss interventions.
• Fitness providers integrating body composition or metabolic health programming should understand the risks of referring clients to unverified medications or providers.
• The demand for obesity care tools is rising, but so is the need for transparency, clinical integrity, and alignment with Health Canada regulations.

What Comes Next

This disagreement marks a flashpoint in the booming market for GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (the drug class Wegovy belongs to), especially as major pharmaceutical and tech-enabled health companies race to capture market share. Hims & Hers has already experienced a significant stock drop following the news, while Novo Nordisk continues to defend the integrity of its brand and supply chain.

For Canadian industry professionals, this is a timely reminder to verify the legitimacy of any telehealth or prescription partners — and to educate clients on the importance of approved, evidence-based care.