Prognosis

Novo’s Already Bad Day Was Made Worse by Hims Copycat

Telehealth firm offers obesity pill for a starting price of $49.
A box of Wegovy pills arranged at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah.Photographer: George Frey/Bloomberg
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Hi, it’s Madison in New York. Novo Nordisk was already having a bad day when a compounder announced that it was offering a cheaper weight-loss pill. More on that in a moment, but first ...

Novo Nordisk’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Doustdar was on an earnings call with financial analysts Thursday after warning that sales could drop as much as 13% this year. Then news headlines interrupted the agenda: Telehealth firm Hims & Hers announced that it would offer a cheaper, compounded version of Novo’s new weight-loss pill.