Hims & Hers Is Now Selling Semaglutide: Here’s What You Should Know

Semaglutide has grow to be a breakout drug up to now yr because of data that show it could possibly help people lose a big amount of weight. But high demand implies that brand-name semaglutide medications, like Wegovy and Ozempic, have been out and in of shortage. They also are inclined to have high price tags, leaving them out of reach for a lot of.

This week, telehealth prescription company Hims & Hers launched an initiative to supply glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, a category of medicines that features semaglutide, from a compounded pharmacy at a comparatively inexpensive starting price of $199 a month. The company also stresses a personalised approach to weight reduction for patrons. Him & Hers isn’t the one company offering compounded semaglutide, however it is certainly one of the larger names providing this service.

What Is a Compounded Medication?

For the brand new initiative, Him & Hers—which also provides access to hair growth, erectile dysfunction, and pimples solutions—has partnered with a compounded pharmacy to get GLP-1 medications.

Compounded drugs are made up of a mix of ingredients or altered ingredients as a way to replicate a drug in a shortage or to create a tailored version of a drug for a particular patient (for example, someone who could also be allergic to an ingredient in a drugs they need).

Compounded drugs will not be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and don’t require review for safety, effectiveness, or quality before being released into the market. However, the FDA lifts restrictions on compounded medications when the approved versions appear on the FDA’s drug shortages list—which semaglutide currently is.

As a part of the initiative, the corporate is giving eligible customers access to compounded GLP-1 treatments starting at $199 a month. (By comparison, a month’s supply of Wegovy is commonly greater than $1,300 without medical health insurance, and Ozempic is $937 and up.)

The company also plans to supply access to brand-name medications like Ozempic and Wegovy “as supply becomes more available,” in response to its press release.

The company stresses “personalization” with its recent initiative. “We imagine there isn’t any one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellness treatments, and studies show that no single treatment available works for everybody,” Craig Primack, MDsenior vp of weight management with Hims & Hers, told Verywell. While this doesn’t suggest personalized doses or formulas, it means a holistic approach to weight management. “That means—along with sleep, movement, and nutrition tools—offering the choice of oral medications, compounded GLP-1s, or branded GLP-1 medications as supply becomes more available in order that customers can truly personalize their experience.”

What Lab Are They Using?

Hims & Hers will supply its GLP-1 medications from BPI Labs, which is registered with the FDA. That makes them subject to state and federal oversight, Primack noted. However, this doesn’t mean that the medication is FDA-approved or tested by the FDA for safety and effectiveness.

What Active Ingredients Will Be Used?

Customers who’re eligible for Hims & Hers’ GLP-1 medication will receive medications with the identical lively ingredient—semaglutide—as Ozempic and Wegovy, Primack said.

Primack identified that the corporate’s compounding pharmacy partner uses ingredients listed with the drug master file with the FDA “to make the compounded version as near the bottom product as possible.” (The base product, on this case, can be Wegovy, Ozempic or similar medications.)

Will Anyone Keep Track of Adverse Reactions and Side Effects?

Because this isn’t an FDA-approved medication, it’s unlikely that the FDA will track adversarial effects to the drug. However, Primack said the pharmacy “is subject to state and federal oversight.” BPI Labs didn’t reply to Verywell’s request for comment.

Is It $199 a Month for Everyone?

Primack said the $199 price tag will probably be offered to all eligible customers. However, the GLP-1 medications will “start” at $199 a month—meaning, you possibly can find yourself paying more. “That price varies by the cadence the client chooses—i.e., selecting a 30-day supply vs. a full-year supply,” Primack said.

Is This Safe?

There are concerns with using any compounded medication, provided that it’s not an FDA-approved drug. However, it’s not unheard of to go this route.

“Compounded indications are quite common, especially in situations like this where it could be difficult to get a drugs through pharmacies due to shortages,” Mir Ali, MDbariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, told Verywell.

It’s essential to notice that the FDA said in January that individuals should not use a compounded GLP-1 medication if an approved drug is offered.

While using a compounding pharmacy is nothing recent, “I do recommend going to a physician’s office, because they’re held to the next standard than most firms attempting to make a profit,” Ali said.

Will the Compounded Drugs Run Out, Too?

While brand-name versions of semaglutide have been out and in of shortage, there doesn’t appear to be a priority with compounded versions running out at this point.

“There is a possible you possibly can run out of the ingredients that make up the medication, but there are various pharmacies throughout the country which might be in a position to produce it,” Ali said. “So far, we haven’t seen a shortage [of semaglutide] in compounded pharmacies.”

Is Anyone Else Selling Compounded Semaglutide?

Many online pharmacies are already selling compounded semaglutide. A preferred example includes Rowhich also serves as a distant provider for hair loss, sexual health, hair, and skin solutions, and now has a compounded semaglutide medication program. Ro offers a Body Program for $145 a month to assist people drop some pounds through medications and training, however it doesn’t include the associated fee of the corporate’s compounded semaglutide medication. Another example is Henrywhich offers compounded semaglutide for $297 a month.