Hims & Hers removes a knock-off weight loss drug days after introducing it

• Hims & Hers introduced a once-a-day weight loss pill on Thursday.
• Then, on Saturday, the company said it would stop offering the pill to customers.
• In between, the FDA said it would restrict the sale of unapproved GLP-1 drugs.

Hims & Hers unveiled a once-a-day weight-loss pill this week, calling it an alternative for needle-averse customers and those looking for smaller doses.

It was essentially a cheaper copy of the Wegovy pill that the pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk, released earlier this year.

About 48 hours later, the telehealth company said it would stop selling it.

"Since launching the compounded semaglutide pill on our platform, we've had constructive conversations with stakeholders across the industry," Hims & Hers said in a statement shared with Business Insider on Sunday. "As a result, we have decided to stop offering access to this treatment.

When Hims & Hers first made the compounded semaglutide pill available to customers on Thursday, the company said it met "rigorous clinical standards."

"We adhere to all federal and state standards for compounding, and all active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in compounded treatments are sourced exclusively from FDA-registered facilities," the company said.

Compounding a new version of existing drugs typically occurs when those drugs are facing a shortage, which has periodically been the case in recent years for some of the most popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs on the market.

However, the Food and Drug Administration called out Hims & Hers in a statement issued the following day.

The agency said it intends to restrict certain ingredients used in non-FDA-approved compounded drugs that are "mass-marketed by companies — including Hims & Hers and other compounding pharmacies — as similar alternatives to FDA-approved drugs."

"Entities engaged in the manufacture, distribution, or marketing of unapproved compounded GLP-1 products should be aware that failure to adequately address any violations may result in legal action without further notice, including, without limitation, seizure and injunction," the agency said.

Although weight-loss medications aren't new, Novo Nordisk breathed new life into the industry with its product, Ozempic, around 2022. The company marketed Ozempic as an injectable type 2 diabetes medication, but doctors began prescribing it to patients to address obesity. As a result of rising demands, Novo Nordisk developed Wegovy, a drug specifically geared toward managing weight.

Both those drugs were administered only by injection until Wegovy launched its oral version in January.

Many health-focused companies have developed off-brand versions of the medications to cash in on soaring demand.