Novo Nordisk puts NovoCare Pharmacy inside Hims & Hers, LifeMD and Ro

Novo Nordisk announced on April 29, 2025 that it would sell brand-name Wegovy (semaglutide) directly through three telehealth companies — Hims & Hers, LifeMD and Ro — using its own direct-to-patient pharmacy, NovoCare Pharmacy ^[1][2]. The move put authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy on the same platforms that had been selling compounded copies of semaglutide ^[2].

Under the arrangement, self-paying patients can access NovoCare Pharmacy from inside the telehealth platform and have Wegovy shipped to their homes through CenterWell Pharmacy ^[1]. All strengths are included: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg ^[1]. Eligible patients — described as uninsured people, or people with commercial insurance that does not cover obesity medicines — pay $499 per month through NovoCare ^[1].

The price is not identical across the three companies. LifeMD and Ro said they would sell Wegovy at the same $499 as NovoCare ^[2]. Hims & Hers said it would offer a bundle that includes Wegovy plus a membership with 24/7 care, clinical support and nutrition guidance starting at $599 per month ^[1][2].

"We believe patients living with this chronic disease who want and need treatment under the care of a licensed health care professional, including those embracing the growing telehealth community, deserve to get the real thing," said Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. operations and president of Novo Nordisk Inc. ^[1]. Ro co-founder and CEO Zach Reitano said adding Novo's FDA-approved treatments "at the best available cash price" would help patients without insurance coverage ^[1].

The compounding backdrop

The timing mattered. The announcement came days after a federal court in Texas rejected a legal challenge by compounding pharmacies to the FDA's determination that Wegovy was no longer in shortage ^[2]. While semaglutide was listed as in short supply, compounders could legally make and sell copycat versions; with the shortage declared over, that pathway narrowed ^[2].

Novo was also responding to competition. Eli Lilly was first to build its own direct-to-consumer channel for obesity drugs and had already struck similar deals with LifeMD and Ro for Zepbound (tirzepatide) ^[2]. Lilly began selling higher-dose Zepbound single-dose vials for $499 at first fill in late February, with the 7.5 mg and 10 mg vials priced at $599 and $699 after that ^[3]. In a head-to-head trial, Zepbound produced more weight loss than Wegovy ^[2][4]. Wegovy, for its part, is approved to reduce excess body weight in adults and patients 12 and older with obesity, and in adults with overweight plus a weight-related condition, and to cut the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight ^[1].

Investors reacted quickly on the day of the news: Novo's shares rose 4% in morning trading, Hims shares climbed more than 20%, and LifeMD rose nearly 30% ^[2].

Why it matters for patients

For people paying cash, the practical change was that ordering brand-name Wegovy no longer required leaving the telehealth app they were already using. It also created a visible price gap — $499 through LifeMD, Ro and NovoCare directly, versus $599 for the Hims bundle, which includes services beyond the drug ^[1][2].

The deals did not end the compounding debate. Hims continued to offer compounded semaglutide after signing with Novo, relying on a "personalization" exemption once the end of the shortage barred mass compounding, and framed it as a way to tailor titration for patients who cannot tolerate Wegovy ^[4]. Whether that use of the exemption is legal was contested, and the sources do not settle it.

What happens next

• July 1, 2025: CVS Caremark made Wegovy the preferred GLP-1 for obesity on its largest commercial template formularies; a CVS spokesperson said the pharmacy benefit manager secured a lower net price for Wegovy than for Zepbound ^[3].
• Late June/July 2025: About eight weeks after the deal, Novo terminated its collaboration with Hims & Hers, accusing the company of "deceptive promotion and selling of illegitimate, knockoff versions of Wegovy" ^[4]. Hims CEO Andrew Dudum said Novo was "misleading the public" and had pressured the company to steer patients to Wegovy ^[4]. Hims stock fell 35% that day ^[4]. Novo said it continues to work with LifeMD and Ro ^[4].