Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk (NVO) announced a partnership with WeightWatchers to expand access to the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy. The new collaboration follows Novo Nordisk’s recent fallout with Hims & Hers (HIMS), as it was concerned about the telehealth platform’s alleged illegal sales of Wegovy copies and deceptive marketing tactics.
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Meanwhile, Hims & Hers accused Novo Nordisk’s commercial team of increasing pressure on the company to control clinical standards and move patients to Wegovy regardless of whether it was clinically best for patients.
Novo Nordisk Collaborates with WeightWatchers for Wegovy
Under the agreement with Novo Nordisk, WeightWatchers would work with CenterWell Pharmacy to fulfill Wegovy prescriptions. The partnership will commence on July 1.
Novo Nordisk also announced that it is launching a new cash-offer price of $299 for Wegovy through July 31, for self-paying patients who are new to the savings offer or who haven’t previously filled a prescription through its pharmacy arm, Novocare. The latest offer builds on Novo’s previous $199 cash offer that expires on June 30.
The company highlighted that, since Wegovy is no longer in short supply, it is illegal to sell knockoffs of semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) drugs, with rare exceptions. Novo Nordisk said that it has already filed nearly 120 lawsuits in 34 states against entities that unlawfully market or sell knockoff drugs.
Competition in the weight-loss drugs market is intense, given the huge demand across the world. After the launch of weight-loss drug Mounjaro in the lucrative Indian market, rival Eli Lilly (LLY) is introducing its pen-filled version, KwinPen, escalating its rivalry with Novo Nordisk. Meanwhile, Novo launched its Wegovy drug in India this week.
Is NVO Stock a Good Buy?
With four Buys, three Holds, and one Sell recommendation, Wall Street has a Moderate Buy consensus rating on Novo Nordisk stock. The average NVO stock price target of $94.79 indicates 40% upside potential from current levels.
