Novo Nordisk, obesity firms drop on report of Hims Wegovy pill copy launch

Zealand Pharma A/S

05/02/2026 16:06

Updates

** Shares of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO and other obesity drug developers fall as Reuters reports that Hims and Hers Health HIMS.N is launching copies of Novo's Wegovy pill at an introductory price of $49 per month

** Novo Nordisk's Denmark-listed shares closed down 8.3% at 279.50 Danish crowns; U.S. shares NVO.N fall 5.9%

** Hims says its compounded pill uses semaglutide, the same active ingredient as Wegovy, and will cost $99 a month after an initial payment, compared with Novo's $199

** Hims and Hers shares up 3.3%

** Novo's obesity rival Eli Lilly LLY.N down 5%

 ** Shares of Obesity drug developers Structure Therapeutics GPCR.O down 9.3%, Viking Therapeutics VKTX.O down 7%, Scholar Rock SRRK.O down 3%, while Denmark-listed shares of Zealand Pharma ZELA.CO closed down 8.3%

** Novo last year ended a partnership with Hims and has raised safety and marketing concerns about compounded Wegovy copies

** Novo shares fell ~42% in 2025

(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru)

((Kamal.Choudhury@thomsonreuters.com;))