Mounjaro, Wegovy: who can access obesity medication?

The new generation of anti-obesity treatments is proving particularly effective: according to clinical studies, these drugs can achieve 15% to 20% weight loss on average, a source of hope for people suffering from obesity. But in what regulatory framework does the arrival of these drugs take place in France? Which patients can have access to these treatments today, under what conditions? And could we eventually hope for reimbursement by Social Security for these treatments, to allow fairer access to these treatments?

Hormonal treatment

In France, more than 8,500,000 people are affected by the serious illness of obesity. Recently, the Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk launched its first drug against obesity, Wegovy. Then, it was Mounjaro, developed by the American laboratory Eli Lilly, which appeared in French pharmacies. Emmanuelle Lecornet-Sokolendocrinologist, explains to us how these treatments work: “Incretins, like GLP-1, are hormones produced by the intestines and involved in the regulation of blood sugar. Initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, drugs based on GLP-1 have also shown an action on individuals’ weight. They slow gastric emptying, which prolongs the feeling of fullness, and act on the hypothalamus to regulate appetite.”

Risks of abuse?

Abuses have already been observed abroad, particularly in modeling, where the misuse of this type of medication is spreading. Some opponents are worried about the risk of this phenomenon appearing in France. For Emmanuelle Lecornet-Sokolit is a subject which must be taken into account, but which must not hide the real progress made: “A Health Insurance survey estimated the misuse of anti-obesity medications at around 1%, which is of course reprehensible, but it is important not to focus too much on this point, as this stigmatizes the use. of these medications. Obesity is already a highly stigmatized disease, and we must not add judgments on patients to this, particularly by mentioning marginal cases like that of certain influencers. Our role is to support patients by supporting them. helping them rebalance their diet, their adapted physical activity and work on eating behavior, while monitoring the side effects of medications, which can be of great help for many people.”

Supervise uses

However, these new treatments are not available over the counter to avoid this abuse. Emmanuelle Lecornet-Sokol specifies the reasons for controlling their sale and distribution: “The High Authority of Health (HAS) recommended, two years ago, the use of medications against obesity by defining three levels of care: simple obesity without previous treatment, obesity with treatment failures or moderate to severe complications, and severe obesity with major complications treated by specialized centers. These medications are not and cannot be a single solution and must be used in a controlled manner to avoid misuse and disruption. stock and better evaluate their effectiveness in real practice. The ANSM, the National Medicines Safety Agency, has proposed that they be prescribed as first-line treatment by endocrinologists, with renewal by general practitioners, for patients with obesity. level 2.”