The anti-obesity drug Wegovy marketed in France, without reimbursement

This Tuesday, October 8, the Danish pharmaceutical group Novo Nordisk announced that Wegovy, a drug indicated to treat obesity, now benefits from authorization to be marketed in France. However, this treatment will not be reimbursed by Health Insurance and will be prescribed under very specific conditions.

Serious side effects if Wegovy is misused

Wegovy is a GLP-1 analogue, a class of drugs that mimics the action of GLP-1, an intestinal hormone that stimulates insulin secretion and induces a feeling of fullness. These treatments are therefore recognized for their effectiveness against obesity. Etienne Tichit, general manager of the France subsidiary of Novo Nordisk, told Agence France Presse (AFP) “the pride of having reopened the path of research in the complex and relapsing chronic disease that is obesity”. The latter “hopes that this arrival will allow many French patients to enter a care pathway including a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity which remains essential.

In a press release published this Tuesday, October 8, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) however declared that it was restricting the conditions of prescription and delivery of all GLP-1 analogues, including Wegovy, following an opinion from the temporary scientific committee. “Cases of misuse with GLP-1 analogues are proven, in particular diversion for aesthetic purposes by people for whom this treatment is not indicated (i.e. people not in a situation of obesity or overweight who do not have weight-related health problems). These misuses can cause undesirable effectss sometimes serious”alerted the organization.

Wegovy: specific conditions to benefit from it

To prevent the risks associated with misuse of these medications, the ANSM has implemented several measures. In detail, only doctors specializing in endocrinology-diabetology-nutrition or holders of specialized transversal training in “Applied Nutrition” are authorized to prescribe GLP-1 analogues. Renewals can, however, be carried out by general practitioners.

In addition, the health authority stressed the importance of complying with the care pathway of the High Authority of Health (HAS) and therefore of prescribing GPL-1 analogues only.to patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 35 kg/m2, aged less than 65 years” as part of treatment for obesity.