Estrogen Patch Shortage Impacts Hormone Therapy
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 57 minutes ago
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Surge in Demand: Prescriptions for estrogen patches have surged by 162% over the past two years, primarily due to the FDA's removal of a long-standing black box warning last fall, significantly impacting the supply-demand balance in the market.
- Production Challenges: Three types of estrogen patches are currently in shortage; while the FDA has not officially declared a shortage, manufacturers like Amneal are working to ramp up production to meet rising demand, highlighting the complexities and challenges in the manufacturing process.
- Exploration of Alternatives: With patches in short supply, doctors are recommending estrogen gels or customized creams from compounding pharmacies, although these alternatives are often not covered by insurance, placing an additional financial burden on patients.
- Uncertain Market Outlook: Experts predict that it may take one to two years for manufacturers to balance supply and demand, meaning women may face difficulties in treatment options during this period, adversely affecting their quality of life and health management.
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Analyst Views on HIMS
Wall Street analysts forecast HIMS stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
6 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 32.700
Low
16.50
Averages
32.95
High
60.00
Current: 32.700
Low
16.50
Averages
32.95
High
60.00
About HIMS
Hims & Hers Health, Inc. operates as a consumer-first platform, which helps customers to fulfill their health and wellness needs. Its platform includes access to a provider network, a clinically focused electronic medical record system, digital prescriptions, cloud-enabled pharmacy fulfillment, and personalization capabilities. Its digital platform enables access to treatments for a range of conditions, including primarily those related to sexual health, hair loss, hormone health, weight loss, dermatology, and mental health, as well as services such as comprehensive laboratory testing. It connects patients to licensed healthcare professionals who can prescribe medications when appropriate and prescriptions are fulfilled online through licensed pharmacies. It also offers access to a range of health and wellness products designed to meet individual needs, which can include curated prescription and non-prescription products.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Surge in Demand: Prescriptions for estrogen patches have surged by 162% over the past two years, primarily due to the FDA's removal of a long-standing black box warning last fall, significantly impacting the supply-demand balance in the market.
- Production Challenges: Three types of estrogen patches are currently in shortage; while the FDA has not officially declared a shortage, manufacturers like Amneal are working to ramp up production to meet rising demand, highlighting the complexities and challenges in the manufacturing process.
- Exploration of Alternatives: With patches in short supply, doctors are recommending estrogen gels or customized creams from compounding pharmacies, although these alternatives are often not covered by insurance, placing an additional financial burden on patients.
- Uncertain Market Outlook: Experts predict that it may take one to two years for manufacturers to balance supply and demand, meaning women may face difficulties in treatment options during this period, adversely affecting their quality of life and health management.
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- Partnership Launch: In March, Hims partnered with Novo Nordisk to offer branded weight-loss drugs, which is expected to drive user growth, particularly as employers cut GLP-1 drug coverage, potentially pushing more patients towards Hims' cash-pay telehealth platform.
- User Growth Potential: Hims reported 2.6 million subscribers in Q1, a 9% increase year-over-year, and analysts anticipate that Q2 results will provide clearer insights into how the Novo partnership is influencing subscriber growth and weight-loss demand, further boosting company performance.
- Market Dynamics Shift: As employers face rising costs for GLP-1 drug coverage, about 43% are expected to continue coverage into 2026, but 10% plan to drop it by 2027, which could drive patients towards direct-to-consumer channels like Hims.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: Barclays raised Hims' price target from $29 to $39 last week while maintaining an 'Overweight' rating, indicating that demand for weight-loss drugs could significantly accelerate revenue and EBITDA growth in the second half of 2026, reflecting the positive impact of the Novo partnership.
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- Share Sale Plan: Chief Medical Officer Patrick Carroll filed to sell 23,726 shares worth approximately $830,000, which may impact short-term market confidence in HIMS, despite the stock rising 36% in June.
- Wearable Integration: CEO Andrew Dudum announced that the integration of Oura Ring is coming soon, indicating a strategic push for HIMS in wearable connectivity aimed at enhancing user experience and medical service capabilities on the platform.
- Wall Street Optimism: Barclays raised HIMS's price target from $29 to $39, anticipating significant revenue and EBITDA acceleration in the second half of 2026, reflecting increased market confidence in the company's future growth.
- Positive Market Sentiment: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for HIMS was bullish, with a 388% surge in message volume over 24 hours, indicating investor optimism regarding the company's efforts to expand its customer base.
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- Growth Through Partnership: Novo Nordisk announced on March 9 that it will sell its blockbuster drugs Wegovy and Ozempic through Hims & Hers, with Barclays noting improved customer momentum, indicating a positive impact from the collaboration.
- Price Target Increase: Barclays raised its price target for Hims & Hers from $29 to $39, implying a 21% upside from the last closing price, reflecting increased confidence in the company's future growth trajectory.
- Revenue Acceleration Expectations: Revenue and EBITDA for Hims & Hers are expected to significantly accelerate in the second half of 2026 due to strong demand for weight-loss products and contributions from other business lines, further solidifying its market position.
- Market Sentiment Rebound: Retail sentiment for Hims & Hers improved from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish', with message activity rising over 120% in the past week, indicating investor optimism regarding the company's outlook.
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- Regulatory Meeting Impact: The Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee is set to meet on July 23-24 to decide on adding seven peptides to the FDA's 503A Bulk List, a move that could serve as a catalyst for Hims' growth prospects beyond 2027.
- Market Performance Recovery: HIMS shares have surged over 20% recently, trading close to $31.8, breaking through the $30 resistance level from April, indicating optimistic market sentiment regarding future growth.
- Potential Revenue Expectations: FirstWave Fund CEO Jonah Lupton stated that if Hims captures 4% to 5% of the GLP and non-GLP peptide markets, annual revenues could reach between $10 billion and $19 billion by 2030, significantly enhancing the company's market position.
- Investor Focus: Despite the long-term opportunities presented by peptides, Leerink noted that investor attention is likely to remain on Hims' near-term growth and profitability trends in the GLP-1 business, especially following the company's recent acquisition of Eucalyptus, which has expanded its operations across multiple countries.
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- Massive Market Potential: Lupton projects that the global peptide market could generate between $250 billion and $380 billion in annual revenue by 2030, and if Hims captures 4%-5% market share, peptide revenue could reach $10 billion to $19 billion, indicating significant growth opportunities in this sector.
- Stock Price Surge: Shares of Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (HIMS) jumped over 12% on Monday to close at $30.17, marking the best performance in two months, reflecting growing market optimism surrounding peptide products.
- Regulatory Support: Canaccord Genuity reiterated a ‘Buy’ rating and a $32 price target for Hims, suggesting that peptides could emerge as a long-term growth driver, with FDA reviews potentially shifting demand from unregulated channels to mainstream healthcare platforms.
- Strategic Expansion: Hims has acquired a California-based peptide manufacturing facility to bolster its domestic supply chain and has expanded its vertically-integrated healthcare platform, demonstrating a strategic focus on metabolic health and cognitive performance, thereby strengthening its position in international markets.
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