Conscience February 2026 Policy Brief - FDA action against compounders

On February 6, the FDA announced it was taking action against ‘copycat’ drugs, restricting the use of active ingredients in compounded versions of semaglutide weight-loss drugs. The announcement responded to news from Hims & Hers that it would offer a compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s drug, Wegovy, at a lower price. On February 9, Novo Nordisk filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Hims & Hers. This policy brief describes existing exceptions to patents that enable companies to create compounded versions of existing products, the FDAs response in this case, and how it relates to the current pharmaceutical policy climate in the United States.