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France is set to reimburse the cost of weight-loss drugs for severely obese patients.
France will be the first EU country to reimburse anti-obesity drugs for severely obese patients.
KEY POINTS
The initiative could cost France up to €100 million annually at full implementation.
French social security will reimburse 65% of costs, but most eligible patients receive full coverage.
Coverage targets those with BMI of 35 plus comorbidity or BMI of 40 without comorbidity.
France is set to become the first European Union nation to reimburse the cost of weight-loss drugs for severely obese patients, announced Health Minister Stephanie Rist. The medications, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, have sparked a surge in anti-obesity treatment interest worldwide.
Rist revealed the annual expense for the initiative could reach around €100 million ($116 million) at full deployment. French patients currently pay approximately €300 monthly for these medications. The program targets roughly one million individuals, but treatments will depend on individual cases and medical prescriptions.
The reimbursement under France's social security system will cover the injectable treatments for those with a BMI of 35 plus a comorbidity or a BMI of 40 without any. Drugs will be covered at 65%, though most eligible patients receive full coverage. This move highlights France's proactive stance on public health issues, said Etienne Tichit of Novo Nordisk.
(With inputs from agencies.)