Shares of Hims & Hers Health Inc. (HIMS) surged 5.02% in after-hours trading on Monday, rebounding from a significant intraday drop. This volatility comes in the wake of Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk's decision to terminate its collaboration with Hims & Hers for the sale of weight loss drugs, including the popular Wegovy.
The partnership, which began in April, ended abruptly due to what Novo Nordisk described as "deceptive promotion and selling of illegitimate, knockoff versions of Wegovy that put patient safety at risk." The drugmaker alleged that Hims & Hers failed to adhere to laws prohibiting mass sales of compounded drugs under the guise of personalization.
In response, Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum countered these claims, stating that Novo Nordisk was "misleading the public." Dudum asserted that Novo Nordisk had pressured his company to "control clinical standards and steer patients to Wegovy regardless of whether it was clinically best for patients." He emphasized that Hims & Hers would continue to offer access to a range of treatments, including Wegovy, to ensure providers can serve individual patient needs.
The after-hours rally suggests that investors may be reassessing the impact of the partnership dissolution on Hims & Hers' business model. The company's commitment to maintaining a diverse range of treatment options, including compounded medications, could be viewed positively by the market. However, the situation remains fluid, and further developments may influence the stock's performance in the coming days.
