Telehealth company Hims & Hers Health Inc. (HIMS) has recruited Kathryn Beiser, a communications executive with five years of experience at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (LLY), as it prepares to enter a new phase of selling branded weight-loss medications. Beiser is a seasoned public relations professional who has held senior roles at several companies, including Kaiser Permanente. She left Eli Lilly last year and officially joined Hims & Hers Health last month as Chief Communications Officer, reporting to CEO Andrew Dudum.
Dudum stated in an announcement, "At this critical moment, she is exactly the communications leader we need." Beiser remarked that Hims & Hers Health is a company where "a spirit of collaboration and experimentation is ingrained in everyone's DNA," adding, "that is precisely the kind of environment I believe can drive change."
This appointment comes as the telehealth firm undergoes a broader strategic shift. The company had previously faced increasing legal and regulatory pressure for selling generic versions of popular weight-loss drugs. Hims & Hers Health has indicated it will now focus on providing branded medications through a new partnership with Eli Lilly's main competitor, Novo Nordisk (NVO). The agreement, announced earlier this week, also resolves a dispute that had lasted for months.
On Monday, the two companies stated that Novo Nordisk has agreed to sell its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, including the highly sought-after Wegovy oral tablets, on the Hims & Hers Health platform. In return, Novo Nordisk will withdraw a lawsuit it filed against Hims & Hers Health last month. Hims & Hers Health has committed to cease advertising its generic versions of Novo Nordisk's drugs. However, the company will continue to sell compounded versions of Wegovy and Ozempic if a physician determines it is medically necessary for a patient.
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