Weightwatchers customers get access to Wegovy at a cheaper price

Novo Nordisk A/S added a deal with WeightWatchers to boost access to its Wegovy obesity drug, just days after axing a collaboration with telehealth company Hims & Hers Health Inc.

WeightWatchers subscribers will be able to access Wegovy via CenterWell Pharmacy from July 1, Novo said Thursday. The drugmaker is also offering a $299 introductory price to self-pay patients who start on Wegovy, as well as for people who redeemed an earlier $199 offer and need a refill.

The move comes as the Danish drugmaker battles for market share in the U.S., where rival Eli Lilly & Co.’s Zepbound has been taking the majority of new obesity prescriptions. Novo canceled its deal with Hims this week, saying the company had continued to mass-market its own copied version of Wegovy.

Musk confidant Afshar leaves Tesla

Omead Afshar, a powerful executive at Tesla and one of Elon Musk’s closest confidants, has left the company, the latest high-level departure during a volatile period for the electric vehicle maker.

News of the exit has circulated internally among some employees in recent days, said Bloomberg sources, who asked not to be identified discussing internal information. Afshar’s name no longer appeared to show up in an internal directory. The reason for the change and his future plans weren’t immediately clear.

Some of the directors who reported to Afshar now report to Tom Zhu, Tesla’s senior vice president of automotive. The Chinese-born executive oversees Tesla’s factory in Shanghai and is one of the company’s three named executive officers.

Afshar, who has worked in the office of the CEO, was promoted last year to oversee sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe. Those markets have become particular pain points for the automaker recently, with sales plunging due to rising competition and a consumer backlash to Musk’s role in the Trump administration.

More refunds going to Fortnite players

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is sending out the latest round of refunds to consumers it says were “tricked” into purchases they didn’t want from Fortnite maker Epic Games — and eligible players who haven’t been compensated yet still have time to apply.

In an announcement this week, the FTC said it was distributing more than 969,000 refunds totaling over $126 million to consumers on Wednesday and Thursday. That follows the regulator’s first round of payments amounting to more than $72 million, which went out in December 2024.

The refunds are part of a $520 million settlement that Epic agreed to pay back in 2022 — to address complaints revolving around children’s privacy and payment methods on its popular Fortnite video game. At the time, the FTC had alleged that the gaming giant used deceptive online design tactics to trick Fortnite players, including children, into making unintended purchases “based on the press of a single button.”

The latest refunds are being doled out to consumers who filed a valid claim before Feb. 14, according to the FTC. Eligible consumers who have not been compensated yet now have until July 9 to file a claim.

Compiled from Bloomberg and AP reports.