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One progress inventory caught out like a sore thumb once I opened my Shares and Shares ISA watchlist yesterday (23 June). That was Hims & Hers Well being (NYSE: HIMS), which was down nearly 35%, registering itβs worst-ever day.
This can be a share Iβve been anticipating some time, however havenβt purchased but. Even after yesterdayβs crash, itβs nonetheless up 86% over 12 months.
May this crash be an opportune time for me to nip in and open a place?
Personalised medication platform
Hims & Hers is a vertically built-in pharmacy and telehealth platform targeted on personalised wellness. It gives prescription and over-the-counter therapies for hair loss, psychological well being, skincare, sexual well being, and extra.Β
In 2024, the agencyβs income soared 69% yr on yr to $1.5bn. Nevertheless, this isnβt a jam-tomorrow progress story, as a result of each internet revenue and free money circulation greater than quadrupled in Q1 of this yr. Subscribers grew 38% to 2.4m.
Driving a few of this eye-catching progress has been compounded GLP-1 weight-loss medication, which the agency started promoting on its platform in 2024. In Might, it introduced a partnership with pharmaceutical large Novo Nordisk to promote its blockbuster Wegovy therapy.
Disagreement
Since that announcement, Hims & Hers inventory has been rocketing. Till yesterday that’s, when Novo terminated the collaboration.
In a press release, the agency pulled no punches, accusing Hims of βunlawful mass compounding and misleading advertising and marketingβ. It used the phrases βknock-off medicationβ a lot of instances in relation toΒ βpersonalisedβ dosesΒ of semaglutide that Hims continues to promote. Semaglutide is the lively ingredient in Wegovy.
Extra critically, Novo alleges that doubtlessly unsafe lively substances are being sourced from international suppliers in China, thereby placing sufferers in danger.Β
Primarily then, there are three allegations right here:
- The continued promoting of copycat variations of Wegovy, which Novo says violates rules.
- Misleading advertising and marketing of those as βpersonalisedβ therapies.Β
- Semaglutide sourced from unapproved Chinese language suppliers.Β
In response, Himsβ CEO Andrew Dudum wrote on X: βWe refuse to be strong-armed by any pharmaceutical firmβs anticompetitive calls for that infringe on the unbiased determination making of suppliers and restrict affected person alternative.βΒ
Dudum stated Novoβs administration is βdeceptive the general publicβ, and that the platform will proceed providing entry to totally different weight-loss therapies, together with semaglutide.
My transfer
What to make of all this? Effectively, there might clearly be regulatory compliance danger right here. Lawsuits seem inevitable, and thereβs seemingly not less than some model injury.
In the meantime, Novo will maintain promoting Wegovy with two of Himsβ rivals, specifically Ro and LifeMD. So the agency might lose share within the booming weight-loss area, which isnβt supreme.
Nevertheless, thereβs extra to the platform than simply Wegovy. It was already rising strongly earlier than GLP-1s, and its alternative to combination demand in some very giant well being classes seems undimmed to me. Itβs additionally increasing into Europe by way of a current acquisition.

Himsβ disruptive direct-to-consumer platform goals to be cheaper and extra personalised than the normal healthcare mannequin. Subsequently, I feel shareholders ought to count on additional business resistance, like Uber bought from taxi corporations. Β Β
Iβd like administration to reassure traders in regards to the provide chain accusations. Ideally, it will occur when the agency reviews Q2 earnings in August, if not earlier than.
But when the inventory retains falling within the coming days, I’ll open a starter place.




