• France becomes the first EU country to reimburse weight-loss drugs for severely obese patients.
• Wegovy and Mounjaro will be partially reimbursed starting mid-June.
• The reimbursement is estimated to cost the French state about €100 million annually.
• Most patients will receive near total coverage due to health conditions.
• This measure aims to address a growing public health challenge in France.

The French government has announced that it will begin reimbursing weight-loss drugs prescribed to severely obese patients starting mid-June, making France the first country in the European Union to implement such a measure. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist highlighted that this reimbursement initiative is a significant step in addressing the rising obesity levels across Europe, estimating it will cost the state approximately €100 million annually at full rollout, according to Le Monde, South China Morning Post, and Reuters.

The reimbursement will apply to the weight-loss medications Wegovy and Mounjaro, aimed at patients with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 coupled with comorbidities or those with a BMI of at least 40. Patients currently bear an average cost of about €300 per month for these treatments, which have been available in France since 2024. Rist clarified that approximately one million people are estimated to benefit from this initiative, although it will depend on individual cases and prescriptions, according to Le Monde, South China Morning Post, and Reuters.

According to the French health authorities, while the official reimbursement rate is set at 65%, most patients are expected to receive up to 100% coverage, primarily due to their health conditions. This decision has been welcomed as a necessary response to a growing public health challenge, emphasizing the urgent need for effective therapeutic care in combating obesity, according to Le Monde, South China Morning Post, and Reuters.