By Amina Niasse

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Online telehealth company Hims and Hers Health will begin offering compounded copies of Novo Nordisk’s new Wegovy pill at an introductory price of $49 per month, ​the company said Thursday, about $100 less than the brand name.

Shares of Novo extended losses in early morning ‌trading, and were off 6% after the news.

Hims’ compounded version of the treatment is made from the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as the one ‌from Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk. Following the lower one-time payment, patients at Hims with a five-month subscription will pay $99 per month thereafter versus the $199 Novo will charge.

Patients with shorter subscription durations will pay more per month, but less over the course of their treatment plan, with a three-month subscription totalling $277. All treatments are paid for upfront in full.

Hims said the ⁠treatment can be tailored for patients aiming ‌to ward off side effects or who prefer the pill over the injectable option.

“We’re excited to find ways to continue bringing branded treatments to the platform across specialties. More choice ‍on the platform is the best thing for customers everywhere,” said Hims CEO Andrew Dudum in a statement.

Novo launched the drug in the beginning of January and has seen strong demand in the U.S., where it is available on its cash-pay direct-to-consumer website.

A ​spokesperson for Novo Nordisk was not immediately available for comment.

NOVO WARNED ON PRICE PRESSURE

On Wednesday, Novo said that pricing ‌pressure was unprecedented as customers shifted to the cash-pay market and insurers demanded deep discounts after it agreed to lower prices at the request of the Trump Administration, forcing its shares to plummet. It is also facing competition from Eli Lilly, which hopes to launch its own pill in a few months.

Novo and Hims had a partnership in 2025 allowing Hims to sell injectable Wegovy, but the two companies walked away with Novo saying Hims had wrongfully ⁠marketed copycats of Wegovy. Hims’ Dudum accused Novo of attempting to ​control how clinicians at Hims make decisions.

Compounding, in which pharmacies mix ​ingredients to copy a drug but at different dosages, is allowed in the U.S., flourishing even as copies of the branded version are readily available. Hims currently sells compounded versions of injectable ‍Wegovy.

The Food and Drug Administration ⁠in September issued a warning to Hims regarding its marketing of compounded semaglutide, stating claims like “same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy” are misleading, as compounded drugs are not FDA-approved.