Some of these medications even allow you to lose up to 15-20% of your body weight, results unheard of until recently, and are seen as a more accessible, less intrusive solution, and with lower risks than most operations. complex or long hospital stays proposed for weight loss.
gullToday, Wegovy and Mounjaro are not yet marketed in Belgium even though they have received European marketing authorization.”
In France, a new flagship treatment has come to strengthen this booming market: Wegovy, a drug from the Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk which will gradually be marketed. With the absence of reimbursement, prices are free and the price of a single box can go up to 350 euros (for use spread over a month).
Wegowy, one of the new generation anti-obesity treatments, is now sold in our French neighbors but be careful of misuse
A market that could be worth up to $1.12 trillion by 2031
If the drug should be available only by prescription and only for patients with a BMI greater than 35, doctors fear diversion for aesthetic purposes. It is for this reason that Federal Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke decided to extend the measures aimed at reserving the drug Ozempic, with similar properties, in Belgium for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes and severe obesity.
“Today, Wegovy and Mounjaro are not yet marketed in Belgium even though the two drugs have obtained European marketing authorizationreports Ann Eeckhoudt, spokesperson for the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products. This was possible thanks to a unique dossier prepared by the firm, based on existing clinical data, which was submitted to the EMA (European Medicines Agency). This file was evaluated by a panel of international experts, including Belgian specialists. The benefit-risk balance was considered positive. However, at the national level, it is up to the firm to ask for a price and negotiate the reimbursement terms. The drug introduction strategy depends on each country: certain firms choose to introduce their file as a priority in certain countries, according to their commercial strategy. In Belgium, the file must be submitted to the FPS Economy for setting the price, and to the INAMI for reimbursement terms.“.
Miracle drugs against obesity… are especially for pharmaceutical laboratories
When we know that approximately one in eight people suffer from obesity, we can imagine how much the pharmaceutical industry is rubbing its hands. Especially since these numbers continue to grow. With more than a billion people worldwide suffering from obesity, including 890 million adults, the market could be worth up to $1.12 trillion by 2031.
Faced with this public and financial success, health professionals prefer to remain cautious. “Recent studies warn about the effects of Ozempic and other drugs on the gastrointestinal system, warns Éléonore, dietitian in Brussels. Although these treatments are very interesting, their use is not trivial; there are indeed undesirable effects such as nausea, diarrhea or even vomiting, and there is even a risk of inflammation of the pancreas. It can also slow stomach emptying, thereby decreasing appetite. It is therefore important that they are strictly supervised to prevent them from being used inappropriately, particularly by people who do not need to lose weight for medical reasons. In addition, we do not yet have long-term data to confirm that it is 100% beneficial..
Berberine, a plant substance described as a natural Ozempic, costs €20 per box of 90 tablets! But is it effective and safe?
