The anti-obesity drug Wegovy soon to be marketed in France

It is one of the leading treatments against obesity. Developed by the Danish pharmaceutical laboratory Novo Nordisk, the Wegovy drug will soon be marketed in France, the company announced. A medication which will not be reimbursed by Social Security and can only be prescribed within a restricted framework established by the National Medicines Safety Agency.

The ANSM indicated in another press release that patients will need to obtain a prescription from a specialist in endocrinology, diabetology or nutrition before being able to obtain the treatment.

This launch comes against a backdrop of exploding demand for a new generation of effective treatments for weight loss: GLP-1 analogues, including Wegovy. This class of drugs mimics an intestinal hormone that stimulates insulin secretion and provides a feeling of fullness. The patient is therefore no longer hungry.

The ANSM recalled that this drug should only be used as a second line, in the event of failure of nutritional support and in combination with a low-calorie diet and physical activity. It is reserved for “patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 35 kg/m2 and aged less than 65 years”.

Physical activity remains essential

The general director of the France subsidiary of Novo Nordisk, Etienne Tichit, expresses “the pride of having reopened the path of research in the complex and relapsing chronic disease that is obesity”. He “hopes that this arrival will allow many French patients to enter a course of care including a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity which remains essential”.