Wegovy now available in tablet form in France

The anti-obesity drug Wegovy, previously available in France as injections, is now available in tablet form starting this Monday, November 2, in French pharmacies. This is the first drug in the GLP-1 class to be marketed in France in oral form.

Wegovy's mechanism and prescription criteria

The drug, which mimics the action of an intestinal hormone that regulates appetite and promotes weight loss, is available by prescription to adults who are obese or overweight with at least one comorbidity related to their weight.

Cost and insurance coverage in France

At its launch, the tablet is not covered by the French Health Insurance, and the manufacturer has not submitted a request for reimbursement. Patients will therefore have to pay between 169 euros and 235 euros per month depending on the dosage.

New injection version launched alongside tablet

Meanwhile, the Novo Nordisk laboratory is also launching this Monday in France a highly dosed version of Wegovy by injection (at 7.2 mg) to expand its offer. An "additional therapeutic option" according to the laboratory.

Uncertainties about patient adoption

However, several unknowns remain. "How many new patients will start these drugs?" and "how many will switch from injectable to oral?" asks Alexandre Fauconnier from the consulting firm Kearney.

Current usage and cost of obesity in France

Nearly 100,000 patients who are overweight or obese are already taking Wegovy in France. And in France, the medical and socio-economic cost of obesity is estimated at 18 billion euros per year, according to the Asterès firm, commissioned by Novo Nordisk.

Wegovy's efficacy and regulatory approval

For Novo, "the tablet does not replace the injectable: it allows the treatment of patients who were not previously covered." It is an "additional therapeutic option." Its authorization was granted based on the results of a clinical study showing an average weight loss of nearly 17% with the highest dose after about 15 months of treatment.

Eli Lilly's oral obesity treatment entering Europe

Eli Lilly is not far behind. Its oral obesity treatment, orforglipron, has been marketed in the United States under the name Foundayo since April and in the United Kingdom since August. Its arrival in Europe is expected soon, after the positive opinion issued in mid-October by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the first step before its marketing authorization in the EU.

Market competition between Wegovy and Foundayo

"Markets are closely following the prescription curves for obesity of the two products," observes Alexandre Fauconnier. At this stage, the Wegovy pill has taken the lead, generating sales of more than 480 million dollars in the second quarter.

Sales and usage data for Wegovy

As of the end of September, more than 5 million prescriptions of this treatment had already been issued in the United States, according to Novo. And in the United Kingdom, the tablet is selling at an average of "more than 65,000 boxes sold per week."

Foundayo's advantages over Wegovy

Eli Lilly, the leader of the injectable obesity segment in the United States, intends to take full advantage of the ease of use of Foundayo (98 million dollars in sales in the second quarter). A product that can be swallowed at any time, with or without food. A flexibility compared to the competing tablet, which must be taken each morning on an empty stomach with a little water. A delay of at least 30 minutes must also be respected before eating, drinking, or taking other medications.

Future developments in obesity treatments

New molecules in the pipeline. To extend their dominance over the anti-obesity market, expected to exceed 100 billion dollars by 2030, according to estimates, the two giants are working tirelessly on the next generations of treatments. Several improvement paths are expected on efficacy, tolerance, spacing of doses, or even the preservation of muscle mass.

Innovations in drug development

"Pills that will target, not just one receptor, but several at once, with greater efficacy. Treatments that will also target complications related to obesity," notes Laurent Palanque, associate at the OMS & Co consulting firm. Attention is for example turning to Lilly's retatrutide, a molecule under development that activates three hormonal receptors (GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon), perceived by some experts as the potential "Rolls Royce" of Lilly's drug portfolio.

Novo's next-generation treatment

As for Novo, it is developing a next-generation anti-obesity drug (CagriSema) that combines semaglutide with another active ingredient, cagrilintide.