Arizona-based Strive Compounding Pharmacy has sued Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) in a Texas federal court alleging that the drug giants coordinated to stifle competition by hindering access to compounded versions of their blockbuster GLP-1 weight loss drugs.
The two companies discouraged “providers, telehealth platforms, and patients from prescribing and accessing compounded GLP-1s,” per a news release.
Lilly manufactures Zepbound and Mounjaro (tirzepatide), while Novo makes Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide).
“It’s a fight for the right of every patient to have access to the medicine their doctor prescribes, at a price that isn’t dictated by a monopoly,” Strive CEO Nate Hill said in a statement.
Strive’s argument in the case is predicated on the idea that some patients need a personalized version of a brand-name drug as well as a law that allows compounders to make brand drugs if a shortage has been declared. The latter is currently not the case with any of the companies’ GLP-1s.
Lilly previously sued Strive over its manufacture of compounded versions of its GLP-1 drugs, but a Delaware federal judge tossed the case in October 2025 over a jurisdictional issue.
Novo has also sued compounders in the past over GLP-1 therapies.
Requests for comment from Lilly and Novo have yet to be returned to Seeking Alpha.