Challenges. After the numerous failures of previous drugs, how would Wegovy and, more broadly, the GLP-1 family revolutionize the treatment of obesity?
Etienne Tichit. These new molecules are an unprecedented advance. Beyond targeting excess pounds, they also regulate eating behavior and satiety, by acting on the central nervous system. They are not just appetite suppressants, but remodelers of eating desires and habits. In a way, the GLP-1s redefine the plate. Studies have shown that people undergoing treatment are nauseated, even disgusted, by fatty and sugary foods.
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Novo Nordisk is currently negotiating with Health Insurance the price and reimbursement of Wegovy in France. How can we convince public authorities to support these innovative, but very expensive, treatments?
Obesity is a complex problem that is not just related to diet. Genetic and environmental factors also play a role. It is a chronic disease which affects all organs, notably the heart and kidneys, and which is directly responsible for 200,000 new cases of cancer per year in Europe. These complications cost more than 10 billion euros per year to Social Security and mutual insurance companies in France. Beyond prevention, public authorities must therefore ensure that these medicines are available to patients who need them. However, when we know that obesity affects low-income families twice as often, reimbursement is the crux of the matter.
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The precedent of Mediator, as well as the possible risk of relapse after stopping treatment, are they not obstacles to prescribing? How to reassure doctors?
Research on GLP-1 analogues dates back to the 1980s, so these molecules and their effects have been known for a long time. We marketed our first antidiabetic drug in this therapeutic class in 2008. Today, 42 million patients worldwide have benefited from our treatments, including 40.6 million for diabetes and nearly 1.5 million for obesity. we have been dealing for four years in USA. This decline allows us to see that the beneficial effects on
