France will start reimbursing weight loss medications from June 15, becoming the first European country to cover these treatments.

The French Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist, announced that France will start reimbursing weight loss medications starting June 15, thus becoming the first country in the European Union to offer permanent reimbursement for these treatments. The reimbursement will be set at 65%, but most patients with comorbidities, such as hypertension or diabetes, will benefit from full coverage.

Medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which help with weight loss by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, will be available by prescription starting in 2024. The high prices, around 300 euros per month, have been a barrier to access to these treatments. Currently, approximately 10 million people in France suffer from obesity, and at the level of the European Union, 51% of people over the age of 16 are overweight. This measure comes in the context of a growing interest in effective treatment solutions in the fight against obesity.