Hims & Hers Stock Tumbles as Novo Nordisk Ends Its Wegovy Sales Deal. Can the Telehealth Giant Recover?

Core Viewpoint - Hims & Hers Health's stock has experienced a significant decline following the termination of its sales partnership with Novo Nordisk, amid allegations of improper practices related to the sale of compounded semaglutide, a key weight loss drug [2][7][13]. Group 1: Company Overview - Hims & Hers Health has leveraged the popularity of weight loss drugs, particularly GLP-1 agonists like Wegovy, to become a top market performer, with its stock rising nearly 100% over the past year before the recent downturn [2][4]. - The company grew its subscriber base from 391,000 in Q1 2021 to 1.7 million in Q1 2024, indicating strong growth in its overall business model, which includes various health and wellness products [9]. Group 2: Recent Developments - Novo Nordisk terminated its sales partnership with Hims & Hers due to the latter's continued sale of compounded semaglutide, which Novo Nordisk claims is an abuse of compounding practices to bypass patent protections [2][7]. - Hims & Hers began selling compounded semaglutide in May 2024, which contributed to its recent success, but the company was expected to cease this practice after the end of the semaglutide shortage in February [6][10]. Group 3: Allegations and Impact - Novo Nordisk has made serious allegations against Hims & Hers, including deceptive marketing practices and illegal mass compounding, which could potentially harm the company's brand and reputation [11][14]. - The company's management has provided sales guidance for 2025 of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion, with approximately 30% of revenue expected from weight loss drugs, highlighting the importance of this segment to its overall business [10].