You know Hims, right? It's the next-gen telehealth startup famous for taking the eye contact out of erectile dysfunction treatment.
Of course, bedroom pills aren't all Hims peddles. The Uberized men's health app also offers hair loss treatment, STD meds, mental health services and GLP-1 weight loss treatments — though that's now going away.
Fueled by global demand and slow production, 2024 was the year of the GLP-1 shortage. Originally used to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide slow digestion and give users a feeling of satiety after eating less. Supply issues finally started to ease late in 2024, as compounded semaglutide — "copycats" of the patented stuff like Ozempic and Zepbound — began to flood the market when the FDA temporarily paused some regulations.
Fast forward a few months, and those FDA regulations are back in full swing, along with a couple of court rulings that could end the copycat market for good. That's bad news for Hims, which bragged that its Faux-zempic brought in a cool $225 million in revenue in 2024, with an estimated $725 million in weight-reduction revenue on the way in 2025.
With all that money on the line, Hims has decided to roll out a brave new strategy to combat federal regulations: e-begging.
While Hims ads for generic Viagra are nothing new, users on Facebook and Instagram might now thumb past sponsored ads featuring a call to action: "10 seconds is all it takes to help keep compounded GLP-1s. Let the FDA know you depend on it."
The ads embedded in the link redirect to a form hosted by Hims, asking for your name, address, and contact info. Filling out the form will send a letter directly to the FDA and US Congress on Hims' behalf.
"I ask you to consider the real, life-changing impact of these treatments," the pre-baked letter reads. "Please ensure that patients continue to have access to compounded GLP-1s as a critical part of health management. I hope that the administration listens to the voices of those who support and depend on this medication."
Biased though Hims may be, the company has a point. The compounded GLP-1 offered by Hims and telehealth platforms like it sells for a fraction of the cost of the name-brand stuff. Hims currently offers compounded semaglutide at a price of $165 a month — compared to $1,799 a month for Ozempic, and a whopping $1,999 for Wegovy.
But resolving the issue will be complicated, to say the least. Though patent-hoarding pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists have railed against compounded GLP-1s with a variety of excuses — not least of which is that copycats lack FDA approval — companies like Hims haven't exactly been forthcoming about what's in their blends, either.
Others argue that US taxpayers have already paid their way, as the federal government spent $6.2 billion on research of GLP-1s for weight loss — a profitable industry now worth tens of billions of dollars.
It's a tough impasse. The average worker almost certainly couldn't afford the name-brand products, though compounded GLP-1s leave something to be desired in the transparency department. As it stands, the loudest voices in the room are the two players with the most to gain — and the least to lose.
More on pharmaceuticals: The FDA, Which is Run By A Homophobic Conspiracy Theorist, Has Raided a Poppers Company
Share This Article