Presented as a miracle cure for obesity, the Wegovy drug has been marketed in France since Tuesday. The Novo Nordisk laboratory hopes that this treatment will ultimately be reimbursed by Social Security.
France is the 16th country in the world to market it. Wegovy, a star drug from the Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk, has been available in pharmacies since Tuesday. Initially intended as a treatment to combat diabetes, Wegovy is also very effective against obesity. According to the European Medicines Authority (EMA), this drug promises weight loss of around 15% after 68 weeks.
A well-supervised sale
The potential market that Novo Nordisk is targeting is therefore very large. “When we are faced with more than 10 million French people affected by obesity in adulthood we see the challenge, especially since obesity does not stop at weight which is the visible part”, explains Étienne Tichit, general manager of the France subsidiary of Novo Nordisk, at the microphone of BFM Business, while mentioning the “metabolic or cardiovascular complications” linked to this pathology.
Etienne Tichit, general manager Novo Nordisk France – 24/11
Administered by injection every week, the product mimics a gut hormone that stimulates insulin production and suppresses feelings of hunger. But this involves a lot of significant side effects: nausea, diarrhea and even pancreatic upset.
To avoid misappropriation, the sale of Wegowy will be well supervised, in particular by the High Health Authority. Not reimbursed, the injector pens should cost around 300 euros per month and will only be issued by prescription.
No surge expected
According to Fabrice Camaioni, of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions, if pharmacists are worried about abuses, particularly via false prescriptions, they do not expect a surge.
“The price will still be a barrier and the indications are quite precise. We are talking about people under 65 with high body mass indices so it is not to be beautiful and ready for the next summer,” defends he. Please note that taking Wegowy must also be accompanied by a low-calorie diet and regular sporting activity.
For its part, Novo Nordisk hopes that French Social Security will reimburse its drug in the coming months. A rather desirable perspective according to Frédéric Bizard, “health economist:
“We are looking at tens of billions of costs generated by morbid obesity in France. The few tens of millions of euros of investment in this drug, in comparison, would have a strong profitability.”
Tested in early access on 7,048 patients in France between July 2022 and September 2023, the drug seems to have proven itself: one patient is said to have lost more than 30kg in one year. However, the long-term effects still remain unknown.
