Novo Nordisk is turning up the heat on compounding pharmacies making versions of its blockbuster.
Late last week, the company filed 11 new lawsuits against med spas, weight loss clinics and telehealth companies advertising compounded versions of its semaglutide products for diabetes and weight loss. The lawsuits were filed in Oklahoma, California, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington and Florida.
“Through these cases, we are addressing false and misleading marketing that deceives patients into believing that they are purchasing authentic, FDA-approved Novo Nordisk medicines or that they are purchasing compounded products that have been approved by the FDA or proven to be safe and effective,” a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Endpoints News on Tuesday.
The company has now filed a total of 34 legal actions against compounders, six of which have resulted in permanent injunctions, according to the company.
“Consistent with our commitment to patient safety, Novo Nordisk will continue to pursue legal action against other businesses engaged in similar conduct,” the spokesperson said. It’s chief rival, Eli Lilly, has also joined in filing suits against businesses marketing compounded GLP-1s.
Compounded medicines are altered in some way to meet the needs of a patient — for example, if a person is allergic to an inactive ingredient or needs a liquid formulation. In some circumstances, a drug on the FDA’s shortages list can be compounded with fewer restrictions to meet demand.
But they’ve also become a popular way for businesses to get in on the weight loss drug craze. Separate from many of the smaller businesses that the drugmakers have sued, health tech companies like Ro and Hims have begun offering compounded versions of the drugs. Hims has even acquired its own compounding pharmacy to meet demand, and anticipates making the products even after the shortages ease, the company said during its second-quarter earnings call with investors on Monday.
While there is still “limited availability” for some doses of Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug Wegovy, all doses of Eli Lilly’s rival Zepbound are now available, according to the FDA’s database, though the drug remains on the shortage list.