Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) is planning to distribute its weight-loss medications through the telehealth platform operated by Hims & Hers Health (NYSE:HIMS), signaling an unexpected thaw in relations between the companies after a recent legal clash, Bloomberg reported over the weekend.
Shares of Hims — which have fallen roughly 51% so far this year — jumped more than 44% in premarket trading Monday as of 09:08 GMT. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk’s shares in Copenhagen rose about 1%.
According to the report, the companies could unveil a new partnership as soon as Monday. The arrangement would allow Novo’s obesity treatments to be sold through Hims’ platform, restoring a relationship that broke down last year after Novo accused the telehealth provider of continuing to promote compounded versions of its medications.
The renewed collaboration follows months of escalating tensions. In February, Novo filed a lawsuit against Hims after the telehealth company introduced a copycat version of its oral Wegovy weight-loss pill, arguing the product violated patents linked to the active ingredient used in its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
Leerink analyst Michael Cherny said the development was “both a surprise and an unabashed positive for HIMS’ stock,” noting that it could help avoid what had appeared likely to become “a protracted legal process that could include a full trial.”
Still, Cherny cautioned that “even with this positive news, we do not see this as a clearing event for HIMS to fully recapture its growth potential and thus maintain our Market Perform rating.”
In a separate research note, Morgan Stanley analyst Craig Hettenbach said a partnership between the companies could remove one of the biggest uncertainties hanging over the stock — legal and regulatory risks related to the company’s weight-loss offerings. He added that “any reduction in those risks could lead to a strong rebound in the heavily shorted stock.”
During recent supply shortages, telehealth providers such as Hims sold lower-cost compounded versions of weight-loss treatments developed by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Although those shortages have since been resolved and companies were expected to halt the sale of such copies, some providers have continued offering them by adjusting dosages or altering ingredients to distinguish them from the branded drugs, the report said.