Hims & Hers to Offer Cheaper Semaglutide Pill, but Experts Raise Safety Concerns

The telehealth company's new compounded version of the Wegovy weight loss drug will cost less, but lacks FDA approval and clinical trial data.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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The telehealth company Hims & Hers Health announced it will begin offering a low-cost version of the Wegovy weight loss pill, with a starting price of $49 per month. However, experts have raised concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the compounded semaglutide drug, which is not FDA-approved and has not undergone rigorous clinical trials like the original Wegovy medication.

Why it matters

While the lower cost could improve access to GLP-1 medications for weight management, obesity specialists warn that compounded drugs pose risks due to the lack of regulatory oversight and clinical data. They argue that patients should not have to choose between affordability and proven safety and efficacy.

The details

Hims & Hers said its new compounded pill contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as the injectable Wegovy and Ozempic medications as well as the newly launched Wegovy pill. However, unlike those FDA-approved drugs, compounded medications are not reviewed by the agency for safety, effectiveness, or quality. Experts stress that small changes in formulation can significantly impact how a drug is absorbed and performs in the body, and they are concerned about the lack of clinical trial data demonstrating the compounded pill's equivalence to Wegovy.

  • Hims & Hers announced the new compounded semaglutide pill on February 6, 2026.
  • After April 15, 2026, the 4 mg dose of the Wegovy pill will increase to $199 per month.

The players

Hims & Hers Health

A telehealth company that will begin offering a compounded version of the Wegovy weight loss pill at a lower cost.

Novo Nordisk

The pharmaceutical company that manufactures the FDA-approved Wegovy and Ozempic GLP-1 medications.

Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH

An obesity medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School who does not prescribe or recommend compounded drugs for obesity treatment.

Jorge Moreno, MD

An assistant professor and obesity medicine doctor at Yale Medicine who would not feel comfortable advising patients to use the compounded semaglutide pill.

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What they’re saying

“Compounded versions of semaglutide are not FDA-approved and are not required to undergo the rigorous clinical trials that approved medications must complete to demonstrate safety, efficacy, dosing accuracy, and manufacturing consistency.”

— Fatima Cody Stanford, Obesity Medicine Specialist

“Assuming equivalence without data is not scientifically sound or medically responsible.”

— Fatima Cody Stanford, Obesity Medicine Specialist

“These ingredients [in the compounded pill] were not tested in the clinical studies and could result in different efficacy and side effect profiles. I would not feel comfortable and would not advise using these medications.”

— Jorge Moreno, Obesity Medicine Doctor

What’s next

Novo Nordisk has said it plans to pursue legal action against Hims & Hers, arguing that mass compounding of a Wegovy pill copy is illegal and undermines the FDA's drug-approval framework.

The takeaway

While the lower cost of the compounded semaglutide pill from Hims & Hers could improve access to GLP-1 medications for weight management, obesity experts warn that the lack of FDA approval and clinical trial data poses significant safety risks that outweigh the potential benefits of increased affordability.