Copycat Weight-Loss Pill Removed From the Market Amid FDA Crackdown

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Source: MedPage Today

Original: https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/fdageneral/119806...

Published: Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:19:01 -0500

The FDA has announced plans to take action against GLP-1 receptor agonists it has not approved.[1] The crackdown led telehealth company Hims & Hers to withdraw its new semaglutide compound diet pill (Wegovy) from the market.[1][2] FDA chief Martin Makary said the regulator would take swift action against companies that wholesale illegal copies of drugs and present them as alternatives to approved products.[2] Unapproved products cannot be verified by the FDA for quality, safety, or efficacy, posing a risk to patients.[2] The Hims & Hers pill uses a liposomal formulation of semaglutide, while Novo Nordisk's original Wegovy uses patented SNAC technology.[2] Oral administration via liposomes is problematic, according to analysts, because part of the active substance is broken down in the intestines and does not reach the target effect.[2] Shares of Novo Nordisk stabilized following this FDA action.[2]