Novo Nordisk Shares Rise After FDA Pressures Hims to Pull Weight-Loss Pill

Novo Nordisk shares surged over 8% on Monday, February 9, 2026, after telehealth company Hims & Hers Health abruptly pulled its $49 compounded weight-loss pill from the market just days after launch.

The reversal came following intense legal pressure from both the Danish pharmaceutical giant and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, marking a significant victory for Novo in its ongoing battle against copycat versions of its blockbuster obesity treatments Wegovy and Ozempic.

The regulatory crackdown signals broader FDA enforcement against compounded GLP-1 drugs, potentially reducing competitive threats to branded weight-loss medications.

Hims Halts Compounded Pill After Legal and FDA Pressure

Hims & Hers announced on Saturday that it would discontinue offering its compounded semaglutide pill, citing “constructive conversations with stakeholders across the industry.” The telehealth provider had launched the $49 monthly treatment just days earlier on Thursday, positioning it as a low-cost alternative to Novo’s branded Wegovy pill, which sells for approximately $150 through the company’s direct-to-consumer platform NovoCare.

Novo Nordisk immediately threatened legal action, calling the product “illegal mass compounding that poses a significant risk to patient safety.”

The FDA amplified pressure on Friday by announcing it would take “decisive steps” to restrict compounding pharmacies from producing copycat GLP-1 medications. The agency stated these actions aim to safeguard consumers from drugs lacking verified quality, safety, or efficacy.

The regulator also warned against misleading advertising, noting that companies cannot claim non-FDA-approved compounded products are equivalent to FDA-approved drugs. Hims’ semaglutide pill was not FDA-approved and had raised immediate concerns from both Novo and regulatory authorities.

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Novo Nordisk Stock Rallies Despite Ongoing Pricing Headwinds

Novo Nordisk shares traded at $50.71 in premarket trading at 6:50:57 AM EST on Monday, up $3.03 or 6.37% from the previous close of $47.64. At market close on Friday, February 6, shares had risen $4.30 or 9.92% to close at $47.64.

The Monday surge pushed Novo’s stock above levels seen before Hims announced its copycat product. Meanwhile, Hims & Hers stock plunged 14.8% in premarket trading, while Eli Lilly shares gained 2.4%.

Despite Monday’s gains, Novo Nordisk stock remains under significant pressure, down nearly 50% over the past 12 months and approximately 7% year-to-date. The company’s market capitalization has dropped nearly two-thirds from its June 2024 peak of over $600 billion to approximately $244.51 billion.

Last week, shares plunged 17% in a single day after Novo flagged “unprecedented price pressure” and projected that both revenue and earnings could decline by as much as 13% in 2026, breaking a run of double-digit growth.

Novo continues to face intense competition in the rapidly evolving GLP-1 market. Eli Lilly has pulled ahead in U.S. prescription trends and projects 2026 profit above Wall Street expectations. Lilly’s oral GLP-1 pill orforglipron is expected to launch in April, which will further intensify competitive pressure.

Additionally, compounding pharmacies continue offering injectable versions of semaglutide under a regulatory loophole that permits copycats when branded medicines face shortages, though Novo has resolved supply constraints through expanded manufacturing capabilities, including its $16.5 billion acquisition of Catalent.

Disclaimer: The author does not hold or have a position in any securities discussed in the article. All stock prices were quoted at the time of writing.