France becomes first EU country to reimburse Wegovy and Mounjaro

French citizens will now be able to gain limited reimbursement for blockbuster weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which European insurers have been wary of covering due to high costs.

Speaking to French broadcaster TF1, French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said it was the first European country to decide to cover the costly, yet popular drugs for obesity patients.

“We are the first country in the European Union to provide reimbursement for patients who need it, under general law, on a permanent basis,” Rist said.

So far, countries such as Germany and Greece are only covering similar drugs for type 2 diabetes under strict conditions.

Coverage in France will be limited to people with severe to morbid obesity, with insurers reimbursing at least 65% of costs. Rist said “a majority of people” would receive full reimbursement because of comorbidities such as heart disease.

Companies welcome decision

The announcement is a win for the leading drugmakers in the weight-loss and diabetes space: US giant Eli Lilly, which produces Mounjaro, and Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk, manufacturing Wegovy.

Novo Nordisk CEO, Mike Doustdar, said the decision “demonstrates the foresight and maturity of the French system, as well as its commitment to providing the resources required to tackle this chronic disease.”

Negotiations between French authorities and companies “took a long time, more than a year,” Rist said. The new agreement will take effect in mid-June.

Patient groups have long urged France to expand access to the drugs, which approved them for prescription in 2024 but initially denied insurance coverage over concerns people would use them for cosmetic rather than medical purposes.

The debate comes as EU countries, including France, weigh healthcare reforms aimed at curbing rising public spending driven by chronic diseases.

Rist said the estimated cost of the reimbursement scheme would amount to around €100 million annually, based on a target population of one million people. Patients currently pay around €300 a month out of pocket for the injections.

(bms, aw)