Mounjaro Receives Green Light for Obesity Reimbursement in France
Meta Description: France’s health authority has approved insurance coverage for Mounjaro, a drug initially for type 2 diabetes, for patients with severe obesity, marking a significant step in addressing the nation’s growing weight-loss challenges.
France’s High Health Authority (HAS) confirmed Tuesday its favorable opinion on reimbursing Mounjaro—an injectable medication containing tirzepatide—for the treatment of severe obesity, a decision that expands access to a potentially life-changing therapy. The move follows a re-evaluation of the drug’s efficacy data submitted by manufacturer Eli Lilly.
Previously available only for type 2 diabetes, Mounjaro was opened to prescription by any doctor in France as of June 23, according to the National Medicines Agency (ANSM). Now, health insurance coverage will be extended to individuals struggling with severe obesity who have not achieved sufficient weight loss through dietary changes and increased physical activity.
The HAS decision was bolstered by new data demonstrating Mounjaro’s benefits beyond weight loss. According to the authority, advanced studies showed the drug’s positive impact on reducing sleep apnea syndrome, lowering the risk of developing diabetes in pre-diabetic patients, and mitigating events linked to heart failure. “Taking into account the new data available,” the HAS stated, “Mounjaro is of interest to these patients.”
This approval places Mounjaro alongside Wegovy (semaglutide), a competing weight-loss drug from Novo Nordisk, in terms of medical benefit. The HAS has upgraded Mounjaro’s rating to level 4, signifying “minor medical progress,” mirroring Wegovy’s classification.
“It is a criterion which enters into the price setting negotiation,” a spokesperson for Eli Lilly France explained, noting that negotiations with the Economic Committee for Health Products are expected to begin “in the coming months.” Eli Lilly resubmitted a reimbursement request to the health authority last spring.
Currently, the HAS has not established a preference between Wegovy and Mounjaro due to a lack of “robust comparative data” between the two medications. Both drugs operate within a class of treatments that mimic a naturally occurring intestinal hormone—GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1)—which stimulates insulin secretion and promotes feelings of fullness.
The expanded access to these medications represents a growing recognition of obesity as a chronic health condition requiring medical intervention, alongside lifestyle modifications.
